More Than What I Look Like
by XxBCgymnasticsxX
Summary: Bella has to move to Forks after her mother's tragic death. She finds her dad is abusive and in school, Edward Cullen won't leave her alone. Will Edward find out her secret? Sorry, I'm a bad summerizer, it's a good story. Please, please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic- I hope you like it!!!! And please, please, please, please, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

_Bella's point of view_

I grabbed onto the table and fought for breath, trying for one moment to escape the cruel torture my father was inflicting on me. When Charlie, my dad, noticed I was getting away, he grabbed my hair and wrenched me back with brutal force.

"I'm not finished with you yet, brat," he snarled, and pounded on my body with his hard knuckles. Pain blossomed at the base of my spine and shot up my back.

"Please, please," I gasped, "please stop. I'm begging you." Charlie laughed mercilessly. "Beg all you want," he said menacingly. "It'll only make things worse. For you, that is." And with that, he slowly pulled out a knife from the pocket of his grimy flannel shirt and drew it from the hollow of my neck to the start of my jaw. I screamed and writhed as white-hot agony burned from the wound. The foul scent of my blood wafted up to my nose, and my eyes watered from the smell.

Charlie laughed. He was enjoying all of this. Just as he was about to maul my body with the knife again, though, I was saved by a loud knock at the door.

"Charlie," a gruff voice came from behind it. "Open up. I've got beer." My father heaved a sigh, like he was debating something in his head.

"I guess you're done for today, Isabella. Just be expecting me to want to have more quality time with you after work tomorrow," he said, throwing his face into mine. I nodded shakily and stood up.

"Get upstairs and don't come down, or else you're going to get it. Maybe, if I think you're worthy enough, you can have dinner tonight. Now scram," he barked out. I leaped away from the dust-blanketed kitchen floor and scrambled for the stairs, wincing when the injury on my chest let out a fresh wave of pain. I didn't stop, though, until I got to my room. The rickety door shivered on its hinges when it was slammed shut with all the force I could muster.

This was not at all what I had been bargaining for when I moved in with my dad. My mom had been murdered two months ago in Phoenix, Arizona, and until now, I'd been living with my grandma. I knew I was going to have to live with my dad eventually, but I hadn't done so because I needed time to grieve for my mother in her hometown and things needed to get set up here. I had arrived at this small house with peeling, ugly, grey-blue paint yesterday. Charlie had picked me up from the airport and taken me here. I thought he seemed like an all right guy. The moment I had stepped into the house, though, he said, "So, how do you like Forks?" I had just shrugged and smiled, "Okay, I guess. I haven't really seen much of it yet." He had grinned evilly. "Well, babe," he said in a falsely cheerful voice, "you aren't going to like it much now." And with that, he had raised his fist and had brought it down on my body repeatedly, while I had screamed loud in shock and horror as agony riddled through my body each time his knuckles connected with something. Charlie had beat me for more than an hour and a half twice that day, and had fed me one piece of bread and a little strip of cheap, stale beef jerky that I could barely even swallow. I was sent to bed, and when I couldn't stop sobbing, he knocked me out with cold medicine.

Anyway, back to the present tense. I carefully laid my body down onto my bed and took off almost all my clothes, inspecting my body for the damage that Charlie created. Bruises were just beginning to appear on my torso, arms, legs, and neck, and nasty gash he'd done with the knife was still gushing blood. I sighed. I knew I couldn't report this to the police, for two reasons. The first was that Charlie had threatened to kill anyone important to me if I did, and the second was that Charlie was the chief of police here in this rainy town of Forks. If I went to the authorities, he was sure to lie and beat the hell out of me when we both got home. I sighed, and the movement hurt my throat. No, I couldn't go to the police, I couldn't tell my grandmother, I couldn't tell my friends back home, I couldn't tell anyone. I guess I would have to just tough it out here and try to live through a couple more years with Charlie, then run away and get my own place, preferably in a warm, sunny place. I heaved another painful sigh. Two years seemed a long way away, especially because of what was in store for me with the time in between.

I breathed out heavily one last time and tried to go to sleep. Try as I would, I couldn't, because of the acute, throbbing pains all over my body, especially on my chest. Eventually, at around ten thirty or eleven at night, I fell into a fitful sleep. (_Italics_ means she's in her dream.)

_I looked over the plain of endless sand, walking, trying to find __something__, __someone_,_ anything, but I couldn't. It was just me, the sand, and…nothing. An absolute and complete loneliness filled me, starting at my toes, slowly moving up my calves, thighs, torso, chest, neck, and finally my head, so it enveloped my whole body. Somehow, I knew that I would be alone, always, and with that knowledge, I started to scream. I screamed and screamed, until something hard collided with my head._

Suddenly, I snapped back into consciousness, and my father's face greeted with me. As usual, his fair brown hair was falling slightly over his night blue eyes, with his high cheekbones seeming to stick out more than usual.

"You were screaming in your sleep," he growled. I sat up.

"Oh," I said. Charlie pushed me off the bed and snapped, "I've got to go to work now. You can have a bowl of cereal. Dress in whatever, just don't let it reveal any injuries." He kicked me savagely, and then left the room. A couple of moments later, I heard the roar of his ancient truck's engine in the garage, but as he went farther away, it grew fainter and fainter, until finally, I couldn't hear anything but the intake and release of my own breath.

I looked at the clock. Six thirty. I had just enough time to throw on jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie over it, quickly run a brush through my dark brown hair and pull it into a ponytail, and eat before I had to leave to start walking to school at seven.

I breathed in the fresh, cool air of the outside as I stepped outside of the house. I locked the crummy front door with my key and started for school, the one place I knew I didn't have to be afraid of Charlie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Bella's point of view_

After about thirty minutes of walking, I reached the school, which really was just a bunch of brick buildings with a sign stuck in front of it, saying "Forks High School". I walked for around another ten minutes until I got to the front building, a sign on the door labeling it the front office. Gathering my thoughts in my head, I opened the door and looked around.

It looked just like the front school office at home. There was a main pod in the middle of it with brown oak countertops and hallways lined with doors branching out from them. Behind the counters in the middle were three desks cluttered with papers, staplers, phones, computers, the works. Three women were typing away at their keyboards, their eyes glued to the screens. I timidly approached the nearest secretary, the younger one with deep orange hair, lines creasing her face. Her copper nameplate identified her as Mrs. Cope.

"Hi," I said shyly. She snapped her head up to look at me. "I'm Isabella Swan," I continued. Her baby blue eyes flashed in recognition, then she started to dig through a very highly stacked pile of papers, which looked ready to fall at any moment. Finally, she came up with two sheets stapled together and told me in a kindly tone, "Here. The top sheet is your schedule, and the second sheet is a map of the school. By the end of the day, can you have your teachers sign your schedule and bring it back here?" I nodded. "Thanks," she smiled, and then went back to typing.

I left the office with my eyes down at the map, hoping to memorize it so I wouldn't have to look at it constantly during the passing periods. Soon, I reached the cafeteria. Almost every seat there was taken. I just wandered around the tables until I found a girl that waved me over. She was short, with curly brown hair.

"Hi," she said in a bubbly voice. "I'm Jessica. You're….Isabella, right?" I nodded, but said, "I just like to be called Bella, though." She just grinned and took my hand, leading me towards the table.

"Everyone, this is Bella," she announced, sitting me down in a seat next to her. All the children at the table murmured their greetings. "Okay, so Bella, that's Mike," a boy with a cute, childish face and carefully gelled, spiked hair waved at me, "Angela," a really tall girl with honey tints in her dark brown hair smiled, "Tyler, Eric…" after Eric, this guy with greasy black hair and skin issues, I didn't even bother to listen anymore. I had always been horrible at remembering names.

Somewhere around ten names later, Jess turned to me and said, "So, where are you from?" I hesitated for a second, then answered, "I used to live in Phoenix, Arizona." Jessica looked pointedly at my pallid skin. "The whole entire side of my mom's family is pale," I explained the unasked question. "I just inherited that from her." Jessica nodded in understanding.

When Jess started to make conversation with some kids to her right, Mike, on my left, began to talk to me. "Hey, Bella."

"Hi, Mike, right?"

"Yeah. So, um, what's your first period class?" he questioned. I took a quick peek at my schedule. "I've got…English, with Mr. Mason. What about you?"

He looked disappointed as he replied, "I've got history with Jefferson. But I think Eric has English first hour. I could ask him to show you the way, if you want." I nodded my thanks.

"Hey, Eric!" Mike called. Eric looked up from a thick book he was reading.

"Yeah?"

"You have English first period, with Mason, right?" Eric nodded yes. "Can you walk Bella there? She doesn't know the way." Again, Eric nodded, and he shot me what I think he thought was a dazzling smile.

"Okay. Just come with me after the bell rings, Bella." He smiled a 'dazzling' smile again and put his nose back into his book.

"So, Bells- wait, is it all right if I call you that? I don't want you to not be okay with something and not have me not know…" He started to prattle on about little, trivial things I didn't need to know, but I only paid enough attention to nod and say a little phrase in the appropriate places. I didn't want to be rude or a bad friend or anything, I just really wanted to let my mind go off on its own.

I decided I _liked _it here. I liked it _way_ better than my house. The school felt safe, protected, and I knew no one could hurt me. That's way more than I could ever say for my house here.

Finally, the bell rang, a shrill, demanding sound. Eric waited for me to catch up with him, then started walking and talking to me.

"So, Bella, how do you like Forks?" he asked. Well, even though I was hoping I wouldn't have to lie to anyone here- I'd always been a horrid liar- I really would have to say a fib now.

"Um… I like it. It's a quaint little town." He smiled and nodded. Just then, I noticed an extremely attractive, pale boy with bronze hair and a small porcelain blond chewing each other's faces off. Eric caught me looking.

"So, you've seen Edward Cullen, the ultimate player of the school, have you?" I turned to look at Eric. He had a disgusted look on his face. "I would stay away from him if I were you. He's nothing but trouble," he advised. I nodded- players were not my type at all.

We walked the rest of the way to English in silence. When he finally led me through the door, he smiled and asked what my second period was. I glanced at my schedule.

"History, with Jefferson," I replied promptly.

"My next class is on the way there, I could show you the way," he offered. I accepted his proposition gratefully.

I strode up to the teacher's desk and asked in a squeaky voice, "Can you sign this, please?" He looked up from his novel.

"Yes, of course. You are Isabella, then?"

"Bella," I corrected automatically. He nodded and scribbled his name down with a flourish.

"There you go, Bella. Here, you can sit right there, next to Ashley." He directed me towards a petite girl with chestnut-colored hair in the front of the room, who smiled distantly at me. I stepped towards the desk, but one little foot away, I tripped and literally fell into my chair. Muffled snickers circulated around the room.

My face burned a deep crimson. I took out my notebook and started to take notes on the lecture Mr. Mason was just beginning.

My first three periods passed without incident, although I did catch that Edward kid kissing a bright red head one passing period and an Asian, black haired girl the next. I shook my head. Didn't he honestly care about the other girls catching him and dumping him? Well, no, probably not, I reasoned. He had gorgeous looks, and any girl, except me, of course, would kill to go out with him.

Mike made up most of the conversation as we walked from Trigonometry to lunch. I wasn't even sure what we were talking about- he was picking up a conversation (or a monologue, I guess, since he was doing all the talking) that I hadn't paid attention to in math. He got into the lunch line while I went straight over to the cafeteria. I didn't have any money, since my father couldn't care less if I missed lunch every day.

Angela came to the table first. She looked at my lunch-less state with a concerned eye and asked, "Shouldn't you get something to eat?" I just shrugged and replied, "No money." She looked at me sympathetically and suggested, "We could share mine. I never eat more than half of what's on my plate." I looked at her hopefully. "Really?" I asked. "You wouldn't mind?"

"No, of course not," she replied nonchalantly. As we were eating, I noticed the table that Edward sat at.

"That's Edward Cullen, right?" I asked Angela, gesturing towards the messy-haired boy. She looked over my shoulder and nodded.

"Yeah, and on his left are Emmett McCarty, Rosalie Hale, Jasper Hale, and Alice Cullen." Emmett was huge, with thick bands of muscle wrapping around his entire body. He had pale skin, along with everyone else at the table, and had dark, curly hair sitting on top of his head. Rosalie was blond, with blue eyes and the kind of body that had curves in just the right places and long legs. Jasper was also blond and muscular, but he had the long kind of muscles that made him appear taller. Alice was a pixie straight out of a fairy book, with black hair sticking out in all directions from her head and couldn't have been more than five foot. All of them were incredibly good-looking.

After a moment, Angela spoke again. "Emmett and Edward are cousins, I think, and Jasper and Rosalie are twins. Alice and Edward are, too. Rosalie and Emmett are going out, same as Jasper and Alice, and Edward is dating…three girls, I think: Emily, Rebecca, and Brittany. They're all going to get dumped though, and soon. Edward isn't with any girl for more than a couple of days. I think his record is two weeks. Maybe less." I nodded. Here was another fact that made me not want to be with him- he bounced from girl to girl like a bumblebee goes from flower to flower. If I ever got a boyfriend, I wanted a steady relationship, something this Edward obviously couldn't give to me.

The rest of lunch passed, and I went to Biology II with Angela and Mike. When we got there, all of us laughing at a really bad joke Mike had just told, I went to the front desk while they went to their assigned seats. I introduced myself to Mr. Banner, who signed my slip and sent me to an empty table at the back of the room. I was pretty happy that I had the table all to myself- no annoying lab partners.

The second bell rang right about when I took my seat. Mr. Banner stood up and cleared his throat, about to speak, when the door swung open, and in stepped Edward Cullen.

He flashed a dazzling smile at Mr. Banner. "I'm sorry," he said in a silky voice. "I got caught up at lunch, and then-"

Mr. Banner interrupted him impatiently. "Edward, I don't want to hear your obviously fake excuses, they're holding up my class, so please, just sit down." Edward flashed him another smile and sauntered past the teacher.

_Please don't be here, please don't be here_, I prayed silently. And, all because of my super bad luck, he sat at my table and grinned at me crookedly. I sighed. I could tell this was going to be a long semester.

**I know, I know, that was a really lame ending!!! But, no worries, I'm going to update soon, so keep reading!! And please, please, please, please, please, please REVIEW!!!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so last time, I left you guys at a really bad ending, but here's the next chapter, so…yeah. Thank you so much to all my reviewers. You guys are awesome!!! REVIEW!!! Enjoy ******

**Oh, yeah, also, to mysocalledgothside, she can't run away-Charlie would kill everyone who was important to her. Charlie has no conscience, so the thought doesn't bother him. **

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Three**

_Bella's Point of View_

About three seconds after Edward sat down and Mr. Banner started his lecture again, Edward got out a notebook and started writing in it. When he was done writing, Edward pushed the notebook towards me. It read:

_Hey, babe, how you doing?_

With that, I snorted in anger. How dare he call me 'babe'? I didn't want to be with him, I didn't want to talk to him, I didn't want to do anything with him except be his lab partner. That was the only contact I ever, ever wanted to have with him. I wrote back:

_First of all, don't call me babe. Second of all, don't write to me. And lastly, don't try to talk to me ever unless it is a scientific question about whatever lab we are doing._

I shoved the notebook back over to him. When he saw what I had written, his lips turned upwards into a lopsided, annoying, and I hate to say it, a very attractive smirk, and he scribbled back:

_Angry, are we?_

_Shut the hell up. Now._

_Aw, come on, don't be like that, princess._

_Don't call me princess._

_Fine. Don't be like that, sweetie._

_Stop calling me names!!!!_

_They're good names, though._

_What's your point? I don't like them, so stop calling me them._

_Whatever you say…honey._

_WHAT THE HELL, YOU SON OF A BITCH, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!_

_Oooo, I like them feisty._

Just as I was about to make a smart reply, the bell tolled, and I leaped out of my seat and marched out the door. Even though I was pleading he wouldn't in my head, Edward followed me.

"Dinner with me tonight?" he asked, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"Really? Are you really asking me that question?" I said incredulously.

"Um….Yes. I am really asking you that question," he replied, looking at me with an innocent expression.

"Well, in that case," I pretended to think about it, "no."

"Come on, babe, please?"

"Don't. Call. Me. Babe," I practically growled. He just laughed.

"So, are you coming or not?"

"NO. I just told you that."

"Great. I'll pick you up at around seven." After he said that, my mind went into panic mode. No one could ever know about Charlie's little secret, or else everyone in my family would get killed. Besides, if my father saw anyone come to our house, with the exception of his weirdo friends Billy and Harry, he would probably track them down while he was drunk and kill them, too.

"NO! You can't! Don't come to my house! Please, please, don't…" I grabbed onto his arm for support, since my knees had suddenly just given out.

Edward grasped my shoulders and led me towards the wall, probably enjoying the physical contact a little more than he should. "All right, babe, come one, let's just go over here…" he held me against the wall. But, after about ten seconds of my labored breathing and me leaning heavily against the wall, his hands started to roam a little. First, they went towards the small of my back, then around, my hips, and finally came to rest on my butt.

His actions snapped me back to the present tense. I pushed him off me and backed away, like someone trying to get away from a tiger without spooking them.

"I'm not kidding. I don't want to be with you. So just leave me alone." With that, I turned my back on him and started to power walk away.

"So, is that a yes, or a no?" he called from behind me.

"EDWARD. JUST. LEAVE. ME. A-LONE!!!" I screeched down the hallway. Many girls turned to look, or in two cases, glare, at my sudden outburst. Then, I tore down the hall, not caring about the weird stares that people were giving me. Now, all I had was music and P.E., and then I would get to go…home. Suddenly, I was almost wishing that I could get detention or something so I didn't have to go to my house right after the final bell rang. Charlie might be angry, though, and if there was one thing I _didn't_ want Charlie to be, it was angry.

I sighed and started walking at a regular pace towards music.

_Edward's Point of View_

I heard Bella scream to leave her alone and watched her run down the hallway, a slow little smirk unfolding on my face. Then, as I just stood there with a smug smile, Alice just popped up beside me, took in Bella's now walking figure, and asked, "Okay, what did you do this time." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

I snickered. "Nothing. I just want that Swan chick to go out with me. I mean, look at her! She's the hottest girl in this town, except for Rosalie and you, and Rose is already taken…not that I would date her anyway," I added quickly, because Alice's face was beginning to look horrified for her best friend, "and you're my sister. So, the only logical choice is to go after Bella." I shrugged, as if it seemed obvious.

Alice sighed. "Yes, it might seem logical, if maybe…you didn't currently have _three other girlfriends._ Honestly, Edward, why can't you just settle down for a little bit with one, like me and Rose?" I rolled my eyes. Rosalie and Alice were all about making sure I had one 'good, steady relationship'.

"Whatever, Alice. Your next period is music, right?"

"Yeah," she answered immediately. "Why?"

"That's Bella's next period, too. I got a look at her schedule. So, can you get to know her, become her friend, maybe convince her to sit at our lunch table tomorrow?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "And why would I do that, brother dearest?"

"Because you love me so much and I always do things for you." I smiled sweetly. "Also, I just might let out another entry of your diary onto the internet if you don't…" I added casually. Her face turned bright red, and then she threw her hands up.

"Fine. Whatever, Edward. But you aren't going to hurt Bella like you've done to so many other girls. I mean, I haven't said anything about the other people because they're sluts and they deserve it. But Bella seems really nice, so I don't want you to do anything to her, all right?" she asked. I sighed.

"Sure, sure, whatever, just go talk to her. 'Bye." I turned and began to walk away.

"You owe me," she yelled after me, and I smiled. Yes, I did owe her, and she would make sure that she evened out the debt soon, but it would all be worth it if I could get to know Bella.

**Okay, so how is it? Good? Bad? Well, whatever just tell me what you think and **_**review, review, and REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for reviewing, everyone!!!! I really, really appreciate it. Keep on reviewing!!!!!! It means a lot to me!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Four**

_Alice's Point of View_

I sighed and walked to my music class. Honestly, I didn't want to go, even though music was usually my favorite subject. All I would be doing all period would be talking to the girl Edward was trying to hook up with and be convincing her to sit with us at lunch.

Right after I took my seat, the bell shrilled out. I didn't really notice who I was sitting next to- I'd been doodling absentmindedly in my notebook- until Mrs. Afaman, the teacher, took attendance.

"Right, so, Alice, are you here?" I nodded and said in a bored tone, "Yeah, I'm here." She accounted for a bunch of other students while I was just letting my mind wander, until the teacher said in a clear voice, "Okay, kids, we have a new student, Isabella Swan. Please make her feel welcome."

"Umm... it's Bella," a quiet voice murmured next to me. I turned to face her.

Edward was right- she _was _probably one of the best-looking girls here. Her long, mahogany hair framed her long face nicely and rippled down to the middle of her back. She had deep, deep chocolate brown eyes, with pallid skin and red, full lips.

"Bella, of course," Mrs. Afaman said with a gentle smile. I caught her eye and gave her a large grin, complete with teeth and everything. She responded with a little uplifting of the corners of her mouth and her eyes lighting up.

"Okay, now, class, today you're just working on your piano compositions again. Alice, could you please help Bella with hers, since you're already done?" I nodded. "Great. Now, class, please get to work." Mrs. Afaman strode over to her desk and started typing away on her computer.

"Hi, I'm Alice," I told Bella, holding out my hand so she could shake it.

"Bella." She shook my hand and gave me a small smile again.

"So…how do you like Forks?" I asked her. Everyone had probably already said that, but it was a good conversation starter. I saw her eyes flash and noticed her sides winced slightly.

"Um…I like it a lot," she replied back unconvincingly. She was a poor liar. That was kind of a good thing, I guess- as a general rule, if you couldn't lie, that usually meant you were too nice to.

"Really?"

"Uh…yeah." She seemed intent on lying, no matter how bad she was at it, but I let it drop. We talked about music for a few minutes, but then lapsed into silence. It wasn't the uncomfortable silence that happened when some people had nothing to talk about- it was more we were _choosing_ not to talk to each other. I would have to, though, or else another one of my embarrassing diary entries would get 'mysteriously' leaked onto the internet again. I racked my brain, trying to come up with something interesting to talk about that Edward would care about. Then, I saw the bruise.

"Hey, how'd you get that?" I asked, pointing to her forearm. Not exactly something Edward needed to know, but a fresh, nasty bruise was blinking up at me from behind the right sleeve of her dark sweatshirt, and I was curious as to how she got it.

"Um, I…fell," she said lamely, displaying her poor lying skills yet again.

"Uh huh," I said skeptically, but didn't push it. If she didn't want to tell me, then she didn't want to tell me.

The rest of the period passed with me asking her questions about her life and answering a couple of hers in return.

She lied about some, I could tell. Almost all of them had to do with family. For example, when I asked her what her dad was like, she said back, "He's…great. A very…great man," in a strained, forced voice.

The bell rang out clearly in the middle of me asking her where she lived. Bella gathered her books into her arms and then turned to me, a warm smile lighting up her features.

"Thank you so much for talking to me today. I really want to be your friend," she told me.

_Yes_! Now I could invite her to sit with us at lunch, and Edward wouldn't release my diary entries to the World Wide Web.

"You're welcome. Hey, so tomorrow, do you want to sit with me at my lunch table? I'd really like it if you did."

She wrinkled her nose. "Don't you sit with Edward?" she asked.

"Well," I thought for a moment, "Yeah, but you don't have to sit near him. You could sit on opposite sides of the table," I offered.

"Okay, I'll sit with you, then. Just make sure Edward doesn't talk to me, all right?" Jeez, what did my brother do to this girl that made her hate him so much?

"Sure. See you tomorrow, then."

"All right. 'Bye," she called over her shoulder, and walked away. I just waved to her and strode off in the other direction.

_After school… _

"Okay, Edward, she's sitting with us tomorrow, but she doesn't want to talk to you. What did you _do_ to her that makes her dislike you so much?" I asked, minor curiosity tracing my voice.

He laughed and ran a hand through his disheveled bronze hair. "Well, I was passing notes to her in biology, and she got all pissed off for some reason, then she got weak outside of biology and almost fell, and then I held her…and kind of…grabbed her ass…a little," he admitted.

I was furious. "Edward," I asked in a deceptively calm voice, "do you think that might be the reason she doesn't like you? Because I wouldn't be very happy with someone if I wasn't even their girlfriend and they were grabbing my butt even though I barely knew them!" By the end of my speech, I was yelling at the top of my lungs.

"Ali, calm down! Besides," he said in a low voice, thinking I couldn't hear him, "she has a really nice ass." That made me blow. I screamed out a string of profanities at him and listed a bunch of reasons why he was an idiot and telling him exactly how big of an idiot he was. I got it all out of my system after about five minutes.

"Okay, I'm done now, just don't do that again," I gasped breathlessly. He laughed and nodded.

"Hey, do you need a ride home?"

"Naw, Rose is taking me to her house. Besides," I added after a moment, "I don't want to be in your Volvo with you, Jasper, and Emmett taking up all the room." Edward laughed and nodded.

"Okay, well see you after football practice," he snickered, and left. I watched his figure slowly get smaller and smaller as he walked over towards his car, where Jasper and Emmett were already waiting. I squealed. I didn't think I'd get to see Jazz before the end of the day.

Running up behind Edward, I pushed him out of the way and embraced Jasper. He hugged me back and kissed my head, then lifted my chin up with his hand and kissed my lips. I got into it a little bit more than I had planned to, because Emmett cleared his throat and Edward said, "Okay, you can leave now." I stepped back immediately, my face a light pink.

"Sorry," I breathed. All three of them snickered and got into the car, which took off right after Edward got into the driver's seat.

"Love you," I heard Jasper's voice distantly from the open sunroof.

"You too," I said at regular volume, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. Then, I started towards Rosalie's car. She was so lucky. Her birthday is right before the deadline, so she can drive because she's already sixteen.

"Hey, pixie," she greeted me, and we both stepped into the car and sped down the road towards Rosalie's mansion.

**I know, I know, really bad ending, again! But the next chapter is really good, I swear. Read and please, please, please, please, please, please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed!!! It means a lot to me!!!! I hope you guys like this chapter, and review!**

**Chapter Five**

_Bella's Point of View_

P.E. was a disaster. I'm not super athletic or super un-athletic, it's more that I didn't want to get out of my hoodie and long pants for the uniform the school gave to me. It was just shorts and a t-shirt, but that was enough to reveal part of my cut on my chest and the bruises on my arms and legs.

Eventually, after making up some crazy, far-fetched religious excuse about not letting me wear shorts, my gym coach relented into letting me wear sweats and a different t-shirt, one that covered up most of my bruises and my entire knife wound.

Anyways, I could barely play in the clothes, and I tripped over Angela, who was also in my gym class, and made her ankle all swollen up and red. She promised me over and over that it was fine, but I kept on mentally taking the blame. Well, really, it was actually Charlie's fault- if he hadn't beat me up yesterday and the day before, I wouldn't have to cover up any bruises or a nasty looking cut.

After I quickly changed in the stalls of the bathroom the school provided, I scrambled out of the bathroom, not that I was in any hurry to get home, I just didn't want to keep the other people in line waiting.

I was lugging my heavy math book, language book, and my binder with me as I trudged on as slowly as I could towards my house on the west side of Forks. As I was walking, a sleek, silver, expensive-looking Volvo cruised down the street I was walking on. As it neared me, it went more and more sluggishly, as if the people in the car were trying to get a better look at who was walking down the cracked, beaten up sidewalk.

Suddenly, the Volvo pulled into the alley I was just about to cross and the driver's window rolled down to reveal a grinning Edward.

"Oh, this can_not_ be happening"_,_ I muttered under my breath.

"Hey, babe," he said to me, "do you want a ride?" I didn't answer him and pushed on towards the rocky alley.

"Are you ignoring me?" he asked, mock hurt coloring his voice. Again, I didn't answer.

"You know, babe, that's not very nice."

"Stop calling me babe, dumbass," I growled as I skirted around his car. Snorts of laughter greeted my sentence by people other than Edward. I realized that Emmett and Jasper were there in the car with him; I just hadn't known it before now because they'd kept quiet and the windows were tinted almost on the brink of illegal.

"Don't talk like that, baby," Edward crooned, keeping pace with my five miles an hour walking speed down the street.

I stopped there and turned to face Edward with his cocky grin, and I could see Jasper and Emmett a little in the review mirror.

"Listen, Cullen," I hissed, taking a step towards his car, "I don't like you _at all_, so get that through your thick skull into your brain, if you even have one. I don't want you to take me home, I don't want you to ask me out, and I don't want to talk to you at all, but I'm forced to in biology because we are assigned to be lab partners. Now _leave me alone_." I pivoted on my heel and marched away.

"Baby, that hurt my feelings," he said in a purposely poor imitation of pain. In the backseat, Jasper and Emmett roared loudly. I just ignored them and kept on walking.

"Okay, so princess, do you want to ride with me and the boys?" he asked, his car still going at my super slow pace.

"No," I said curtly.

"Are you sure? You shouldn't be walking out here with no one to protect you. You could get hurt," he leered. I snorted. Who would care if I got hurt? Probably only my grandmother. Not Charlie, for sure.

Suddenly, a burning pain went up my leg, probably from Charlie's beating yesterday, and it wasn't stable anymore. My support collapsed from under me, and I sagged to the ground, while Edward shouted, "Bella!" and jumped out of the car. He caught me immediately before my head hit the uneven sidewalk, and then grabbed my arm and wound it around his shoulders, supporting my weight as he stood me up. Edward then put his arms around the crook of my knees and lifted me from the ground like a baby, carrying me to the passenger seat of his car. He got back into his side, and the last thing I remembered before I blacked out was smelling the sweet scent of his light grey, leather seat and hearing Emmett complain, "Hey, why does she get shotgun?" Edward's reply was, "Shut up, Emmett. She's going to sleep." Then, I finally succumbed to the welcoming darkness of unconsciousness.

_An hour later…_

I woke up with a start. I was still in Edward's car, his rich scent still in my nostrils. As I came slowly back to my senses, I realized there was a hand on my back, rubbing soothing circles and hushed voices in the background.

"Look, she's coming around," Edward said in a regular tone. I started to sit up, but Edward pushed me down and warned, "Hey, princess, take it easy." I glared at him, but stopped attempting to get up from the laying position I was in.

Instead, I took in my surroundings. I noticed there were a lot of big, muscular guys crowding around me. I was in the backseat of Edward's car, with Edward sitting right next to me, massaging my back. After a couple more seconds of laying there, I sat up slowly and rubbed my forehead.

"Wh-what happened?" I asked in a tired voice.

"Well, you collapsed, then you passed out, and I took you into my car. I didn't really know the way to your house, and I didn't want to take you to mine, so I took you to football practice, and the guys told me to just let you sleep it off, so-"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," I interrupted him. "Exactly how long have I been sleeping?"

Edward thought for a moment, then replied, "Somewhere around an hour, maybe a little more…"

"Oh, SHIT!" I screeched, causing a bunch of boys to jump back. I almost laughed at that. Almost.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, his voice full of concern.

"I have to go, now," I said hurriedly. "Can you drive me somewhere?" Edward's eyes lit up with the sound of _me_ asking _him_ for a ride.

"Sure, where to?"

"Almost all the way to my dad's house. I need to get there fast." I felt around for my books, and Emmett handed them to me.

"Why almost?" Edward asked.

"Just because. Now, can you drive me or not?"

"Um…yeah. Sure." Edward started issuing orders to the boys to get away from his car unless they wanted to get run over.

"Wait! Edward! You've gotta drive us home!" Emmett was the one calling, and he somehow appeared in the car with Jasper next to him.

"Ha," Emmett said triumphantly.

Edward kept on trying to make me tell him _why_ I had to be dropped off _almost_ at my house, but there was no way I was letting that little secret slip.

Finally, we reached about two blocks away from my house. I stepped out of the car and turned towards Edward.

"Okay…so don't let this go to your head, but…thanks. I probably wouldn't have gotten found for another couple of hours if you weren't there." Edward looked very smug, so it seems that my first remark had been wasted.

"Don't let it go to your head," I warned again. "And I still don't like you. Just…thanks."

With that, I slammed the door and took off jogging towards my house. Edward stuck his head out the window and yelled, "Don't forget it, babe!"

In reply, without looking at him, I shouted back, "That is exactly why I don't like you, Edward! And stay away from me at school!"

I heard a loud laugh, and then the screeching of tires creating a lot of friction against a gravel road. I turned just in time to see his car swivel around a sharp turn on the beaten up road.

Finally, after ten minutes of running, I reached my house. Preparing myself for the beating that was sure to come, I unlocked the door and walked in.

Charlie was waiting for me in the family room. His face was red, eyes bloodshot. Six empty beer bottles were sitting in haphazard positions next to him, and a seventh was half-empty in his hand. Obviously, he was drunk.

"What," he said, his voice heavy and slurred, "have you been doing?"

"Just…stuff," I answered nervously, hoping he was too drunk to beat me up tonight. No such luck.

"You…aren't allowed to do that. Now I have to beat some sense into you," he proclaimed, a stupid smile dawning onto his face. From behind his back, he produced a very, very sharp knife and whispered, "I love quality time with you, Isabella."

He ran over to me in a flash and knocked me down, hard. I was momentarily blinded, but everything came into painfully sharp focus when a searing, burning pain was drawn slowly up my leg and up to my knee. I screamed ear-piercingly loud and reached down to grab my calf, only to find Charlie there waiting. He snatched my throat and pinned it against the floor, punching me over and over again in the ribs. I screeched and writhed the entire time, but he wouldn't let go. Then, when he finally got tired of punching me, he lifted my shirt to my upper stomach and used the knife like a crayon, my body being the paper. Nothing could ever compare to the agony of that. Sometimes, when an especially cruel wave came over him, Charlie would stick the blade into my skin and twist slowly, just because he knew it would hurt immensely.

After hours of torture, like him drawing all over my body with the knife, punching me on my shoulder blades, kicking me savagely on my arms and legs, and slapping my face with brutal strength over and over, he let me get up. The entire time, I'd been pleading, with warm tears gushing down my cheeks, to stop and that I wouldn't be late again and that I was sorry.

"Now, brat," he said, shoving his face up to mine, "you'll think twice about coming in late, now won't you?" His breath was hot and smelled of stale alcohol. I nodded frantically, even though it sent spasms of pain up my neck.

He pushed me to the ground and went onto the ratty, hole-ridden couch to lay down. "Get upstairs before Harry comes, you little idiot," he snarled at me.

I leaped up from the ground, only to fall back down again because my legs were too weak. I began to army crawl, even though searing pain blossomed up my arms, to the stairs. Finally, I mustered enough strength in my legs to scramble up the stairs, although I tripped and slammed my chin on the smooth, hard wood twice. When I finally reached my room, I army crawled again- my legs had given out- to my bed and pulled myself up under the comforter. I was too tired and in agony to change, so I just kicked off my pants and shirt and slept in my underwear and undershirt all night. My breathing was ragged and shallow.

I had no problem falling asleep this time, but my dreams were dark and troubled. It wasn't just one dream, either- I would have a dream for about an hour, have a little white period, and then go right into the next one. I can't remember all of them, but one was the agony Charlie gave me all over again. That was the last one. I remember being terrified that he wasn't going to let me go and that he was going to beat me to death.

I woke up screaming into my pillow, though the sound was muffled, thank God. If Charlie came in here and heard me screaming, he probably would beat me up again, and I didn't think I could survive one of those right now. Right then, I knew that if I was late again, I wouldn't be able to survive.

**Ohh, cliffhanger! Well, no, not really. I'm probably going to update soon again. Thank you so much to all of my wonderful reviewers, and if you read this story, please, please, please, please, please, please REIVEW!!!!!!!!!!1**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to all that reviewed! I love you guys! KEEP REVIEWING!!!!!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Six**

_Bella's Point of View_

After I woke up from that horrible dream, I leapt out of bed, only to fall to the floor again because I didn't have much support from my legs. I just laid there, on the floor, for a couple of minutes, until I had gathered enough strength to stand up.

Today, I really didn't want to go to school. The first reason is kind of obvious: I'm hurting too much to _want_ to do anything. But, if Charlie found out, I shivered at the beating he would give me.

The second reason, though, is kind of childish: I don't want to face Edward. I'm probably going to go tomato red in the face if I even just look at him, and that will just put that idiotic, conceited smirk on his face.

But I still got ready for school, putting on the least revealing clothes possible, and scarfing down a granola bar before I set out. I walked and walked, just thinking and staring down at the ground beneath my feet, for a long time, and before I knew it, I was at the parking lot.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulders. I acted upon instinct- my hand reached up towards where my attacker's face would be, but before it struck, that someone let go of my shoulders and traded their hold for my wrist and waist.

Edward was staring down at me, an amused expression on his face. "Well, if you're done trying to slap me," he said, "I want to talk to you." Instantly, I could feel my face scrunch up, just a little, but enough for him to notice.

"Don't worry," he laughed. "It's nothing personal or anything, just…what was that yesterday?" Inwardly, I groaned. It was hard enough to lie to just any person, but with beautiful Edward here, it would be near impossible.

"I don't…really know…" I said unconvincingly. His eyes testified to the fact that he didn't really believe me.

"Are you sure?"

"Uhhh…yeah," I replied in a tone even more strained than before. He raised his eyebrows and let go of my wrist, putting both his hands on my waist.

"Are you still sure?" he whispered in my ear. My thoughts were beginning to cloud, but then I realized what he was doing and snapped out of it.

"Get _off_ me," I snapped, slapping his hands away. He snickered. Yep, it was all part of his plan.

"I wondered how long it would take you to do that," he told me. "I thought it would be sooner- not that I minded the wait," he added with a little smug smile.

"Oh, you just wait, Edward Cullen, because one day I am going to-" I didn't get to finish my threat, though, because at that moment, Alice bounded up to us and said cheerfully, "Morning!"

At that moment, Edward left, but he threw over his shoulder, "I'll see you at lunch," with a laugh. I looked at Alice, an imploring expression on my face.

"Do I have to," I pouted.

"Yes," Alice replied stoutly. "You have to. You promised yesterday, and I make sure people keep their promises."

I groaned.

"Alice, would you really do that to me?" I whined. Alice just shrugged. I threw my hands up.

"Alice," I sighed, "I _really_ don't want to sit by him."

"Too bad," Alice replied.

Fine," I grumbled. "I'll do it. But you owe me."

She squealed and threw her arms around my shoulders.

"You'll really do it, Bella?"

"Yeah, sure. But I am _not _sitting near him and he is _not_ talking to me," I warned.  
You're just introducing me to the rest of your family.

She rolled her eyes. "He _must_ have done something to her," she muttered. The bell rang for us to get to class.

Mike Newton walked up to me.

"You want to walk to class together?" he asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

"Mike," I said reprovingly, "We don't have the same first period.

"You have English, with Mason, right?" I nodded. "I have art with Peterson, and that's right next door," he explained.

"Oh. Okay, then." Mostly, we walked in silence, except when Mike asked the occasion question about how I liked school, what friends I'd make, etc. It was almost like the conversation I'd never had with my father, I realized, almost bursting out laughing.

Eventually, we reached class. Although I was sure to regret it later, I idly listened to Jessica's mindless gossip rather than paying attention to the lesson.

English ended, so I continued on to Jefferson's history class. All of the material everyone was learning in here were lessons I'd already learned back in sunny Phoenix, so I didn't even try to pay attention. Instead, I let my mind wander.

I knew I was probably already messed up from Charlie beating me up- yesterday's fainting episode testified to that. I'm pretty sure, though, that Charlie won't kill me directly, he has too much fun abusing me. Something inside me was screwed up, though, and I didn't have the money, nor Charlie the compassion, to let me go to the hospital or therapist or whatever medical care I needed.

Ms. Jefferson snapped me out of my reverie, saying, "Okay, you've got pages 249-251 in your textbook, two through sixty evens. You might be able to get it finished if you use your time wisely." I sighed and got to work.

Just after I completed number sixty, the bell tolled, signaling the end of the period. Gathering all my books, I prepared myself to walk to the other end of the schoolyard for my least favorite subject, trigonometry.

About halfway there I didn't see the person I bumped into until I actually bumped into them, causing my books to scatter on the floor in all directions.

"Sorry," I murmured, "I was looking at the floor and I didn't see you…" Glancing up towards the victim of my clumsiness, I saw Edward, on the verge of laughter. He was biting his lip, so I could tell he was trying to hold it in, but his eyes portrayed every single guffaw that would have passed his lips.

I glared at him. "Go ahead, let it all out," I hissed through my teeth. HE broke into low chuckles while standing up, holding three of my books.

"You _are_ really clumsy," he informed me. My eyes narrowed.

"Thanks so much, Captain Obvious," I muttered, trying to walk away without him following me. Again, no such luck.

"So, babe-"

"Don't call me babe."

"Whatever. So, do you want a ride to school tomorrow?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I just don't."

We'd finally reached the door of my math class. "Can you please just GO AWAY?!" I almost screamed at him. The corners of his mouth twitched, threatening to smile, but he restrained himself.

"Sure I can."

"Cool! Bye."

"Doesn't mean I'm going to, princess." I sighed, pretended not to hear him, and walked into the room.

"See you at lunch, sweetie!" he yelled after me. My face turned a beet red, and, blushing furiously, I sunk into my seat.

_Edward's Point of View_

I grinned cheekily as I saw Bella blush deep red and settle down low into her seat.

_Damn_, I thought as I walked towards Spanish- whoops, there's the bell, another tardy for Mr. S- _that Swan chick really isn't as hard to swoon as I thought she would be._

For a moment, I just walked without thinking, and then yesterday's incident just popped into my head. I could remember it clearly:

_Bella was walking down the road, her eyes down to the sidewalk, when I saw her. I rolled down the window and started to flirt, while Emmett and Jasper were laughing hysterically in the backseat. Then, suddenly, her leg just gave out, and she fainted. I caught her right before her head smacked the ground. _

_Carrying her back to the car, I asked Emmett and Jasper, "Okay, what do I do with her?" Both of them looked at each other and then back at me with bewildered expressions. _

_"Maybe you should bring her to practice," Emmett suggested. It was a stupid idea- I knew all the guys were going to do would be drool over her- but I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I complied. _

_We reached practice, and my suspicions were proved correct- all their eyes practically popped out of their heads when I came carrying a hot girl out of my car. _

_I explained what happened and asked them what I should do. Michael, one of the smarter guys on the team, suggested we should just let her sleep it off. That was the best idea anyone had, so we just did, and for about an hour, she just was lying down unconscious in the backseat of my car. I just watched her, fascinated, for about an hour, until she woke up. She asked where she was and how long she's been there, and when we told her about an hour, she shrieked, "SHIT!" and begged me to drive her almost home. I did, and she told me she still didn't like me, but I could tell that she was warming up to me, just a little._

Again, I smiled. I sauntered into Mr. S's room five minutes late. All eyes were turned to me as Mr. S gave me a death stare and asked curtly, "And why are you late today, Edward?" I smiled to stall and give me enough time to think. Finally, I came up with the perfect excuse.

"Well, you see, I was _going_ to come to class on time, but I got distracted. I was walking, and this _huge_ meteor struck earth right in front of me, and when I was about to get someone, these really big aliens came up and took it away," I said, spreading me arms far apart for emphasis. Snickers were passed off around the room.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen, for your ridiculous excuse, now can you take your seat?" Mr. S asked in an irritated voice. I nodded and plopped down in the back of the room next to Emmett.

"What actually happened?" Emmett said under his breath.

"I ran into that Swan chick again," I muttered back. Emmett smirked.

"Dude, how unlucky is that? The one girl you actually want is the one girl you can't get."

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Emmett."

"You're so very welcome. Now, what exactly happened?" I shrugged.

"Nothing much. She bumped into me, I picked up her books, flirted with her a little, she insulted me, told me to leave her alone, I embarrassed her, and then I left." I shrugged again. Em let out a low whistle.

"Man, is she hard to read. I mean, _I_ can't even tell if she likes you or not."

"Yes, because you were so good at that before, right, Emmett?" We both snorted. That caught the attention of the teacher, who told us that we had to shut up or else we'd have a lunch detention today. I chose to shut up because I really wanted to see what would happen at lunch with Bella today.

Eventually, after a whole fifty minutes of not paying attention to Mr. S droning on, the lunch bell shrilled out. Everybody scrambled to get out of their seats.

"Remember to study!" the teacher called back to us. I laughed silently. I never studied, and I always got As. _Well,_ I thought, _whatever. Now I've got to get Bella to hate me a little less and make her like me a little more so she can go out with me._

**I know, I know, I'm sorry! I'll have the next update ready by tomorrow! Thank you to all that have reviewed, keep reviewing, and to those who haven't reviewed, REVIEW! REVIEW IS THE KEY TO MY HAPINESS! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!! MWAHAHA!!!!!!!!! (I know, I'm weird.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, I just want to take a moment and thank my wonderful reviewers! If you haven't reviewed, review. If you have reviewed, keep reviewing!!! Thanks!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I wish I did, but I don't. Stephenie Meyer does. (I probably couldn't dream up a guy that beautiful anyway…lol)**

**Chapter Seven**

_Bella's Point of View_

After the burning in my face had subsided, I started to pay attention to the teacher. He was already halfway done, however, so obviously, I couldn't understand where he was coming from and had to settle for trying to teach myself the math at home.

I was thinking about Edward when I stopped paying attention to Mr. Varner. About how his hair was so disheveled, and his skin is so flawless, and his lips are so full… wait, wait, wait, I'm talking about _Edward Cullen _here, the guy I hate so much. I'm not allowed to daydream about how gorgeous his looks are.

The bell rang, making my heart do a little jump, stop, and pick up double time. _Time flies when you're having fun_, I thought wryly. I still didn't like him, but I didn't hate him as much as I did. I saw he _could_ choose not to be a compassionless jerkface, but he used it as a mask so it covered up his 'less manly' side. I thought that was really stupid of guys. Sometimes, girls _like_ it when they're not trying to be all macho. Well, whatever. Time for lunch.

I pattered down the hallway silently, hoping no one would notice me until I got to the lunch line. For once, my luck held, and I wasn't spotted until I called, "Alice! Alice!" She glanced around, saw me, and waved back, gesturing that I could cut her in line. A few people gave me a dirty look when I did, but mostly, I wasn't seen. That is, until Edward came.

Alice saw him going into the lunchroom and waved him over. "Aren't you getting lunch today?" she asked. He shook his head. "Why?"

"I'm going out to dinner with Dad after school, and he told me not to eat anything." When he noticed me, he winked and said, "Hey, babe." Alice rolled her eyes.

"Edward, stay away from her. You've already been with all my other friends, please, just stay away from this one," she sighed.

Edward wiggled his eyebrows like a villain in a movie. "Can't make any promises," he told her.

We got to the front then, so Edward had to leave. I was glad for that. He was honestly making me gag. Why did he always call me 'babe' or 'princess' or 'sweetie' or 'honey' when I wasn't even with him? I shrugged internally. If he wanted to delude himself, it was his choice.

I only got an apple and soda- Alice piled her plate up with a sandwich, Coke, lots of fruit, a salad, and water before stepping forward to pay. I cursed in my head and put back the food. I didn't have any money to pay, so I obviously couldn't get lunch. I was just so used to getting into the lunch line in Phoenix that I forgot.

Alice raised her eyebrows at me. "You aren't getting lunch?"

"No money," I explained. She rolled her eyes.

"Bella, friends are for gifts and giving money and comforting each other when their boyfriend breaks up with them or he turns her down." She picked my stuff back up and paid for it. I gave her a smile.

"Thanks, Alice." She grinned back and nodded. We walked back to the table. Rosalie was there, whispering something in Emmett's ear, and Jasper was saving a seat for Alice. Edward was right next to that seat, so I guess I had to sit next to him. _Damn it. _Damn _it. Why does it always work out this way?_ I thought.

Edward cocked his head to the side smugly and patted the seat next to him. I sighed and went to sit down. Maybe I could ignore him. And I probably couldn't.

"Hi." I tried to tune him out. "Hello?" Again, I didn't answer. "Bella?" He poked me in the side. I squeaked and turned to glare at him. "Stop!" I commanded. He thought for a moment. Then, his eyes lit up.

"So, you're ticklish, are you?" he murmured. Then he went into a tickle attack. I tried to shy away from him, but his hands pulled me forward and made me laugh until my chest hurt. "Stop," I managed to stammer in between two giggles. "You're making…me…laugh!"

"And what's wrong with that?" he whispered into my ear. I realized I was against his chest, with his arms folded around me. And that there were probably many curious eyes watching us right now.

"Edward," I sighed, "get off me." He loosened his arms, but didn't let go completely. I pushed and shoved his arms around, but his grip was like iron; I couldn't break it.

"Let go of me," I growled. He laughed and shook his head. Again, I started to thrash around, but I couldn't get out.

"Let me out," I muttered against his chest. He snickered and shook his head again. I squirmed and ordered him to let me go for the next couple of minutes, but then just abandoned the cause because all it was doing was drawing attention to me.

I sipped my Pepsi and listened to Alice's introductions. Rosalie, the beautiful blonde, grinned at me slightly. Jasper smiled warmly. Emmett let out a huge booming laugh and said, "Welcome to the family, sister." Of course, that only made me glare at him and blush a furious, deep scarlet.

"Shut up, Emmett," I muttered, looking at the floor, the walls, anywhere except anyone's face. Rosalie smacked Emmett's arm.

"I'm sorry," she apologized for her boyfriend. "He can be really obnoxious and rude sometimes."

"What was that for?" Emmett complained. "Shhh, be quiet, you're making her uncomfortable," Rose hissed at him.

There were a few seconds of silence-not awkward, just very, very loud silence. Finally, Jasper spoke.

"So, Bella," he began, "how are you liking Forks?" I sighed internally. _Well, at least you can answer this one truthfully,_ I thought.

"It's a nice place. Very green," I replied. Jasper and Edward, who was still holding me prisoner in his arms, chuckled.

"So, who are you staying with here?" he inquired further.

"My father."

"Do you like him?" Uh-oh. I had to lie now, and I was just so terrible at lying, it wasn't even funny.

"I like him…a lot. He's very nice to me," I forced out finally.

Eventually, lunch ended. Edward had let me go about halfway through lunch.

"Ready to go to biology?" Edward's voice sounded behind me. I jumped and turned to glare at him angrily.

"What do you want?" I asked icily. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, obviously, I want you to walk to biology with me," he replied, a smirk on his face. I sighed. "Fine."

The way there, Edward supplied most of the conversation, only needing little 'oohs' and 'ahhs' in the right places.

The door to Mr. Banner's door was open when we reached it. There was an ancient TV with an even more ancient VCR in the front middle of the classroom. I cheered internally. A movie! No hard labs or difficult worksheets.

The bell rang, and as everyone filed into the class, Mr. Banner strode right in front of the TV. "Class," he announced in a loud, clear voice, "we're going to watch a movie today." Obviously. "Now, please pay attention, and don't talk to your neighbors," he warned, and looked directly at Edward, who gave him a dazzling smile. Mr. Banner rolled his eyes.

The teacher flipped the lights off and absorbed himself in a book. The movie started, an animal licking a newborn. I sighed. I thought I'd already watched this movie in Phoenix, so there wasn't really any need for me to pay attention.

Suddenly, I felt a poke in my side, and Edward was shoving a piece of paper with his writing on it.

**Bold- Bella, **_Italics Edward_

_You want to go out?_

**NO, for the last time, I don't want to go out with you!**

_You know you do, babe._

**Shut up.**

_I'm not talking._

**Fine, whatever, stop writing, then.**

_Why? _

**Oh, my God, if you pass me one more note, then I will slap you.**

When Edward saw that note, he snickered. He finally let me watch in peace for a couple of minutes, but then I felt two hands on me, one winding around my waist and one resting on my knee. I glared up at Edward's smirking face.

"Let go of me now, idiot!" I hissed. He snorted.

"Why? I might even say you would be _enjoying _this." I stared at him in incredulity. A girl squirming around and shoving a guy's arms to try to get out wouldn't exactly be the definition of _enjoyment._

"Get off me now, asshole," I muttered. He snorted. I turned to him.

"If you touch me one more time, I will slap you," I warned.

"Touch you like this?" he murmured, and leaned in and kissed me. I protested, obviously, but I was helpless against his iron grip. All of this, of course, went unnoticed by Mr. Banner, who still had his nose buried in the thick volume.

When he started to pull away-for air, I guessed- I reached my hand back and slapped him. Of course, because of my bad luck, Mr. Banner happened to look up from his book at that moment and notice me slapping Edward.

"Miss Swan, principal's office, now!" he snapped. I opened my mouth, about to protest, but then just decided it would be better to go along with him. Sighing, I gathered up my books and was about to walk out the door when I heard Edward's rich, velvety voice, saying, "Should I show her there, Mr. Banner?" I imagined Mr. Banner nodded, because before I knew it, Edward was strolling casually at my side.

"Go away," I growled. He laughed.

"I have to show you to the principal's office, since you were being naughty," he snickered.

I turned on him. "Edward, just go away. I don't want to go out with you."

"Well, that's swell and all, but I have to show you to the principal's office," he said, an angelic smile on his face.

"Whatever," I muttered. We walked in silence for a while, then Edward pointed me in the direction of Mr. Greene's office.

"Just down that way," he directed, then started to walk away.

"Edward?" I asked. He stopped and pivoted on his heel.

"What?"

"I hate you."

"Love you too, sweetie." I turned and stormed off into Mr. Greene's office.

_Twenty minutes later…_

"So, you slapped him because he kissed you?" the principal asked with a straight face. I nodded stiffly.

"Okay, but Miss Swan, violence is not the answer. I am giving you lunch detention for a week." I inwardly groaned in relief when he didn't give me any after-school detentions. Charlie would probably kill me-literally.

"Okay," I said gruffly, and stood up. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, you are excused." I strode out of the room. Passing period had started a couple of seconds ago, and I found Edward waiting for me, leaning attractively against the lockers and smirking. I pushed past him.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked mockingly.

"Lunch detention for a week. Now get the hell out of here," I grunted.

"Too bad, princess. Although I am kind of disappointed he didn't give you after-school detention, you could catch a ride home with me from football practice," he mused. I huffed and walked away.

"Bye bye, sweetheart!" he called. I sighed and walked towards music. Alice caught up with me halfway there.

"Hey," she said cheerfully. Catching my angry expression, her eyes became worried.

"What did he do?" she asked.

"He kissed me, then I slapped him, then I got sent to the principal's. Lunch detention for a week," I answered bluntly. She gasped.

"I," she said slowly and deliberately, "am going to kill him! And then I'm going to tell Emmett and Jazz, and then they're going to kill him…well, probably not, but still…" I let her rant on and on about how she was going to kill him and who was going to kill him with her. After somewhere around five minutes, she quieted down, but then asked me randomly after the silence, "What do you want for your welcome present?" I stared at her in surprise.

"What?"

"What do you want for your welcome present?" she repeated, an expectant expression on her face.

"Alice, don't-"

"Shut up, Bella, we're going to get you something." I sighed, knowing she had won the fight. Nothing stood in the way of what Alice wanted if she was determined to get it.

"I don't know, a skateboard, I guess. A non-expensive one," I added. She looked at me dubiously.

"Why on earth would you want a skateboard?"

"I like to skateboard. It's fun. Besides, I can get to places faster." I shrugged. Alice did too, and sighed, "I guess we'll get you a skateboard, then."  
We walked to music. It seemed to fly by.

When Alice and I walked out of the room, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper caught up with us. When Alice explained the incident with Edward and me in biology, and everyone had a hard time keeping their chuckles in, except Emmett, that is. Emmett decided that he would throw his head back and let out huge, booming guffaws, making everyone in a sixty yard radius look in our direction and causing me to turn beet red.

"Emmett, shut up!" I hissed. After that, he held it in like everyone else.

I went home, to find Charlie passed out on the couch. Finally, one day where I actually had a pleasant surprise when I came home.

I sighed, did my homework, and went to bed, thinking about the kiss Edward and I shared.

**Finally, I have an okay ending! Hope you like it, next chapter is my favorite so far, and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, everyone, thank you so much for reviewing! I'm trying to get forty, so keep on going! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**I thought maybe you guys wanted another POV besides Bella, so…**

**Chapter Eight**

_Edward's Point of View_

Ha. Bella looked so pissed when she stormed away from me to go to the principal's office for slapping me. I don't think she's ever been there before…that's kind of strange. The principal's office is like a second home to me.

I didn't really know what to think about what she thought about me. I don't think she hates me as much as she did, after I practically saved her when she fainted, but she doesn't love me yet. Well, whatever. I'll swoon her into letting me go out with her eventually.

The rest of the day passed by sluggishly, which was fine by me. I wasn't looking forward to the detention Mr. Colas had given me. I don't even remember what it was for! Something about me getting into a fight with that Newton kid…

Although slowly, the day did pass, and I was forced to show up at detention in room C12. I stepped into the room lithely and saw that Mr. Colas was already at his desk, writing something on a notepad. He nodded in my direction and gestured towards a seat, saying, "Please sit down." I sighed inwardly and complied, stretching my legs so my feet stuck out from under the desk. Mr. Colas continued to write for about another two minutes, then put the cap on his black pen and stood up.

"Edward, I'm pretty sure you know why you're here." I nodded, my face devoid of any expression or emotion. "I hope you won't fight with another student here again, but I have to give you detention to emphasize my point." Whatever. "You just have to stay here until three fifteen, then you're free to go." Great. Forty five minutes of doing nothing except staring at the boring, beige walls of the classroom. That was exactly how I wanted to spend my afternoon.

Oh, well. I got detention often enough, and lately, I've been thinking about Bella throughout the whole thing, so it's not so bad. This time, I thought about the kiss I planted on her in biology. She smelled so good, and I thought maybe, just for a second, she was kissing me back. But she pulled back to quickly to let me be sure.

The bell rang at three fifteen, and Mr. Colas gave me a little nod to say, "Okay, you can go now." I jumped out of my seat, shoved all my books into my backpack, and ran outside, finally free of that depressing school.

Slipping into my Volvo, I sighed as the comfort of the seat warmers and the soft background music took over my senses. I sped away at almost twice the speed limit, earning myself some honks and fingers from other cars. I smirked. Half the reason I drove so fast was to get people mad. The other half was…well, to get to places fast.

Within fifteen minutes, I could see our massive white mansion behind the huge hill and the sinuous, winding path.

I pulled into the garage smoothly to find Rosalie under Alice's Porsche, with Alice and Jasper watching and holding hands. I wondered where Emmett was…probably raiding our fridge…I chuckled.

Alice and Jasper eyed me as I stepped out of the Volvo, pulling my backpack with me. I noticed them staring and asked, "What?"

Alice had a little trace of amusement in her eyes as she replied, "Esme's on a roll…you should have told her you have detention today…" She snickered. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, now I have to go deal with my crazy mom, see you in a few," I told Jasper. He smirked and waved me away.

I jogged across our large expanse of green, manicured lawn before I opened the door. Alice was right, Esme was on a rant. As soon as she saw me walk through the door, she screamed, "You hold it right there, mister!" I sighed and pivoted slowly to face her.

"What?"

"You know what! You got detention and you didn't even tell me? I mean, it's bad enough that you even _got_ detention, but you have to tell me those kinds of things! I was about to call the police until Emmett told me that you were still at school, and when I asked what you were doing there, he said you were in Mr. Colas's room, serving a detention!" she shrieked.

"I didn't tell you because you said you'd take away my Aston Martin if I got another one," I muttered. I wasn't exactly planning on letting her hear that, but she did. Her eyes grew wide, and she yelled at the top of her lungs some more for about five minutes until she calmed down.

"Edward," she said in a slow, tired voice, "Can you tell me _why_ you got detention?" I scrunched up my nose, but replied, "Uh…that Mike Newton kid came up to me and started a fight, and I had to defend myself, but then Mr. Colas came over and Newton began to spout some crap to him about me starting to punch him for no apparent reason…he believed Mike, so then Mr. Colas gave me detention. That's it." I shrugged. Esme's face relaxed considerably, and she said, "Okay, I believe you, just try not to get into any more fights." I nodded, and asked, "Where's Emmett?"

"Stealing food from our fridge," she laughed. "Although you can't really call it stealing, as he's doing it right under our noses." I snickered. My suspicions were proved correct.

"Okay, I'm going to hang out with him, I'll catch you later," I called over my shoulder. Luckily, I'd been able to get all my homework done in school, so I had the rest of the day to just chillax.

_Bella's Point of View_

I walked into the house to find Charlie waiting for me. Inwardly, I groaned. I knew I wouldn't get lucky two days in a row.

Charlie's face was a mix of stupidity, stupidity, and more stupidity. He must be drunk.

"Hey, brat," he said in a slurred voice, reaching out to me. I shied away from his touch. He smiled.

"Get back here right now, young lady," he commanded. I tried to run upstairs. Obviously, as Charlie is faster and stronger than me, he caught me by the arm and dragged me down the stairs. I screamed as my healing cuts were reopened, fresh waves of agony rolling off them.

_One hour later…_

I ran upstairs- Charlie had passed out. He hadn't used the knife as much this time, but I still had patterns up and down my biceps and shoulders which hurt immensely.

I got upstairs, and instead of going into my room, I headed towards the bathroom for something to stop the bleeding.

_Perfect,_ I thought as I pulled the long, brown bandages out of the closet. I wound it around my body, sighing when it relieved some of the pain. Then, I ran back to my room, locked the door, and sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! I love you guys! You all get a virtual hug and a cookie! There's a little time jump here, not huge- just three weeks. This was my favorite chapter to write, hope you guys like it! REVIEW!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, as much as I'd like to. Stephenie Meyer does, that lucky duck.**

**Chapter Nine**

_Bella's Point of View_

I fled upstairs after a particularly cruel beating session with Charlie. It was Sunday night, at last. Finally, tomorrow, I would get to go to school. No Charlie for a whole seven hours.

I sighed. Going into the bathroom, I wound fresh bandages around my cuts. Wincing, I walked into my room. It was the same as ever- boring, brown-grey walls, crappy wood floor, small, narrow closet. Again, I let out a huge breath, but this time it wasn't for my injuries. It was me hoping that Edward didn't take my silence as a yes that Friday…

_Friday after school…_

"Bella!" Edward called. I didn't turn around.

"Bella, come one, babe," he crooned. I threw my skateboard in front of me and started to ride, completely ignoring the beautiful boy jogging by my side.

"You want a ride to school on Monday?" he asked. Silence from me.

"Great. I'll pick you up at six forty five." Finally, this caught my attention.

"Edward, no, you can't…" but he was already gone.

_Back to the present tense…_

I seriously hope Edward won't come. I mean, Charlie will probably be gone by then, but it was better-safer- not to take any chances.

After changing into my undershirt and shorts, I slipped into bed and enjoyed a dark, dreamless sleep.

_Edward's Point of View_

I was heading towards the garage when Alice started to badger me again.

"Edward, I don't know. She didn't say yes."

"But she didn't say no. And I gave her the option to. So I'm going to pick her up. She doesn't have to say yes when I get there." I shrugged. Alice let out a long breath.

"Fine, Edward. But don't have very high expectations," she warned. I just shrugged again and stepped into my Volvo.

It wasn't very hard to figure out where she lived. I saw the general direction that she was going in when I dropped her off after that little fainting episode three weeks ago, and I knew what her father's car looked like, not the cruiser- a rusted, red-brown Chevy truck.

I pulled into her driveway and opened my door, hoping in my head that she'd say yes when I asked her if she wanted a ride.

Honestly, she had a really shitty house. It had peeling paint, a cheap front door, and broken window shutters, which hung loosely in the air.

I walked up to her front door and rapped on it three sharp, blunt times. After waiting a couple of minutes, I realized that either no one was home or she was sleeping late.

"Bella?" I called. I did that a couple more times, and again, no one answered. Even though it was wrong of me, I creaked the door open and stepped inside.

The interior was just as crappy as the exterior. She had a couch that looked like Swiss cheese, it had so many holes, a TV with a bent antenna resting on top of it, and a rug that looked like it had entire _colonies_ of bugs living in it. I shivered. Bella seriously lived in _this_?

After exploring for a while longer, I found what had to be Bella's room. Taking a deep breath, I carefully peeked inside. I gasped.

She really was beautiful, even with her hair splayed out in all directions and her mouth slightly open. She was wearing an off white undershirt and red shorts that displayed her body nicely. But none of this was what made me gasp.

Bandages covered her legs and arms, with bruises dotting whatever places weren't concealed, some of them looking fresh, and others yellowing and appearing days old. She had little scratches and a black eye on her face. All in all, she looked like she's been mauled by a tiger every single day of the week.

At my gasp, she stirred and awoke. After opening her eyes and seeing me there, she jumped up and screamed with panic clear in her voice, "What the hell are you doing here, Edward?! This is my house, and you're trespassing! Get out! Now!" She got up and started to push me out the door, but I resisted.

"I will as soon as you tell me where you got all those injuries."

"Out! Now! I don't give a damn if you want to know where I got these, that's none of your business, now out!" Stubbornly, though, I held my position.

After minutes of trying to get me out, she relented. "Fine," she grumbled. "I fell down the stairs."

"Don't play stupid with me. Some of these look a week old."

"I'm clumsy," she retorted. We argued for a while longer, and then she sighed.

"I am going to be so late," she groaned.

"Why don't you ride with me?" I offered. She looked at me skeptically, and I shrugged.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously. I grinned innocently.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because I've been trying to get you to go out with me since the first day you came here…probably not, though. Because that wouldn't make any sense whatsoever." She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I'll be a couple of minutes, just wait outside." I stepped out of her bedroom.

As I went into her living room, standing (I refused to sit down on the couch-bugs would probably attack me), I thought about where she possibly could have gotten those injuries from. Obviously, she hadn't fallen down the stairs constantly, she wasn't _that_ clumsy. What other explanation was there, though?

Bella pattered down the stairs in blue skinny jeans and a grey sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled into a hurried ponytail.

"Let's go," she muttered.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I interrogated. Surely, it wasn't good for her if she went the entire morning without having anything to nourish her.

Her eyes became a little clouded with pain. "No."

"It's not like I even do it half the time anyways," she murmured. I didn't think I was supposed to hear that, but I gave her a questioning look.

"Nothing. Let's go." We strode out to my Volvo in an icy silence. Before we got in, though, she grabbed her skateboard. I felt confusion cross my face.

"Um…I thought you were coming with me."

"I am, because I have to. I'm not going home with you, though, so I'm just grabbing my skateboard for the ride back here from school," she explained. I nodded and smirked. Whatever.

Suddenly, her legs gave out, and her eyes closed. Luckily, I was close enough that I caught her without hitting her head hitting the pavement.

"Bella? Bella? Bella!" I said frantically, my hands searching my pockets for a cell phone to call 911.

_Bella's Point of View_

My eyes drooped and my legs crashed as I fell unconscious. I was only out for a couple of seconds, but it was enough to have Edward anxiously calling my name and looking for his cell phone to call the hospital.

"Edward," I rasped out, "I'm fine. Don't call anyone; just let me sit for a second."

"No, we need to get you to a hospital," he replied, lifting me up and carrying me towards his car.

"Hey, I can walk," I protested. "And you're not taking me to the hospital. I'm fine."

"If you're fine, then why did you just pass out?" he demanded. I knew the real reason-because Charlie had been beating me too frequently and cruelly lately, and my body has begun to react.

"I don't know," I lied. For once, it actually sounded believable. "Maybe it's because I didn't eat breakfast. Just let me down." He debated for a second, then placed me in the car.

"O..kay," he said dubiously. "But you have to eat lunch, then." I nodded. Alice bought me lunch every day.

For the most part, we drove to school without talking. When we got there, though, I fainted. _Again_.

"Bella, we have to get you medical attention," he said seriously. I sighed. "No, Edward, I don't need _medical attention_," I replied, sneering the last two words.

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes.

"No."

"Yes."

We glared at each other for a full twenty seconds in a loud silence. Edward was the one who broke it.

"Fine. But you had better not faint again today," he warned. I nodded and begged myself, _Don't faint, don't faint._

All due to my horrible luck, though, I passed out right before we reached the cafeteria. Edward caught me and waited patiently for me to wake up while carrying me back to the car, which is where I opened my eyes.

"Edward, let me out of here," I said. He shook his head.

"No. We're getting you to the hospital. I think there's something seriously wrong with you."

"Edward, no, there isn't. I'm fine, I just need to eat." We had a heated debate about whether I should go to the hospital or not, but I triumphed in the end.

"Ha," I snorted smugly. He just rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his disheveled bronze hair.

I didn't faint all the way to the cafeteria, or all the way to first period. I saw Edward whisper something to Alice, though, and she frowned and got all concerned with a worried look in her eyes. I gave Edward a dirty look and hoped no one would push it further so my deadly secret wouldn't be revealed.

_Edward's Point of View_

I quietly murmured what was happening with Bella into Alice's ear. Her eyes widened and she gave Bella a glance. I was hoping she wouldn't notice, but apparently she did, because she shot me a look that was full of venom.

The entire day, I was worrying about Bella. She didn't faint at all, though, not that I could tell, because I saw her walking with Alice to lunch.

I didn't speak at all and barely ate during out lunch hour, consumed with thoughts of what could be wrong with her.

Eventually, the bell rang, and Bella and I went to biology. On the way there, she passed out.

"I'm fine, get off me," she said to me in an irritated tone. I didn't even bother to argue, but I made up my mind to talk about what was happing with her today after school.

I was very quiet all throughout the rest of the day, until I caught up with Jasper and Emmett right after our last class.

"Listen," I said lowly, "I need you to help me get Bella into my car. I need her to answer some things." They gave me questioning looks. Jasper was about to speak when I interrupted, "Just do it. It's for her safety." They still had bemused expressions on their faces, but both of them complied.

I ran up to Bella right before she rolled away on her black skateboard.

"Hey, can I talk to you? You can ride home with me."

"No. Go away. I don't want to talk." I sighed, knowing it would come to this. I nodded to Jasper and Emmett, who were strolling casually a couple cars down.

_Bella's Point of View_

Jasper and Emmett grabbed my arms and hauled me towards the shiny, stupid car, while I was kicking and screaming.

"Get off me," I shrieked. "Get off!" They gave me no heed and dragged me into the Volvo, where Edward was already in the driver's seat. Jasper climbed into the passenger, while Emmett shoved me into the backseat with him. Edward began to drive.

"Where the hell are you taking me? Damn it, Edward, tell me! I need to get home!" I attempted to get out while the car was going sixty miles an hour, but that only resulted in Emmett's hands locking my wrists in his iron grip.

The car kept going for somewhere around twenty minutes, with me screaming and threatening the entire way. Then, we stopped abruptly.

"Okay," Edward said, "why have you been fainting so much, and why do you have bruises covering your body?"

"I don't know," I yelled. "Stop it! Just let me out! I need to get home!"

"Tell me why you've been fainting, and I'll let you get out."

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault I'm messed up because my asshole father beats me up every day after school! Okay? Happy! Now let me the hell out!" I looked into their shocked faces and realized I had just willingly spilled my darkest secret out willingly.

Oh, shit.

**So…how do you guys like it? It was fun for me to write, but I don't know how fun it will be for you to read, so…yeah.**

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!! Now I'm aiming for forty five, keep up the good work guys! I'll post another chappie soon! Hugs and virtual cookies to all that review! **


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG!!!! Thank you everyone who has reviewed, I want to get a hundred, so come on guys, we can do it! Keep reviewing! I love you guys!!!!!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, as much as I'd like to. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Ten**

_Bella's Point of View_

Oh, shit. Oh, crap. Oh, crap, shit, crap, shit…

I had just spilled my darkest, most protected secret with almost no provocation. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Jasper's and Emmett's face were still mostly shocked, but Edward's was just plain out _furious._ I could practically see steam rising from his head and a volcano erupting inside of his body.

"Bella," he said in a slow, calm voice, although I knew that he was just masking his immense anger, "what did you just say?"

I furiously tried to think of something that sounded at least a little like I just shouted in their faces, and as it turned out, my brilliant excuse was, "I…fall down the stairs a lot." Aside from being the lamest excuse in the history of excuses, I didn't even say it convincingly.

Edward's face was still really angry.

"Bella, you've got to go to the hospital," he said, reaching towards my arm.

"NO! Don't make me go, please, don't…" A memory from a beating from Charlie flashed into my mind. Charlie reached for my arm and locked his hand around it painfully tight, kicking me in the stomach and sending my flying across the room.

I shied away from Edward's grasp, sobbing and sinking to the floor. Edward caught me and leaned against the car, hugging me. I whimpered again, but this time in pain- he was pushing too tight against my bruises. He gentled the embrace, making it feel welcoming and warm against all my injuries.

I cried and cried against his shirt, while he just ran light, soothing circles on my back.

"It's okay, Bella, it's okay," he whispered to me over and over again. After minutes of me sobbing against his shirt, probably ruining it, too, he murmured, "We need to get her to the hospital," to Emmett and Jasper.

I began to gasp wildly.

"No!" I shrieked. "You can't take me there! Charlie will kill everyone and then he'll get me and he'll torture me and then he'll kill me too! You can't, I didn't say anything, just stay out of my life!" I attempted to shove his arms off my shoulder, but they held fast.

"Bella," he said in a strong, firm voice, "you have to go to the hospital. Then we'll go to the police and Charlie will never be able to hurt you again." Again, I began to struggle frantically. Finally, I got loose, and I tried to make a break for it, even though I had absolutely no idea where I was. I heard Edward order Jasper and Emmett, "Go after her; don't let her run far, she's probably hurting herself." It was true; my wounds were screaming in protest to the great amount of physical activity, and a lot of my knife cuts were reopening.

Emmett caught up with me first and picked me up, ignoring my yelled protests and the punches against his back.

"Here," he said to Edward. Edward traded me with the keys, as he was going to be the one sitting with me in the backseat.

Emmett gently forced me into the seatbelt, while I was still kicking and screaming.

"Bella, easy, geez," Edward murmured. I hadn't realized he had slipped into the seat next to me. I calmed down a little when I saw Edward, I'm not really sure why. He had a relaxing presence, I guess.

Eventually, I resorted to resting my head on Edward's shoulder and having a foot in consciousness and a foot out of it. Honestly, I'd been through enough that day, so I felt I should be able to put my head down and rest. Who cares if they took me to the hospital?

I could still hear their conversation; I wasn't that out of it- their words were just a little bit muffled.

"Okay," I heard Emmett start, "let's see how bad the damage is before we take her in- I mean, I don't think the hospital staff would be very pleased if we brought her in and she had a little red mark on her back."

"I'm telling you, she had bandages all over, and she was covered in bruises," Edward insisted. I could practically hear Jasper's and Emmett's eyes rolling.

"Okay, Mr. Over-exaggerator, let's see." Edward began to take off my sweatshirt. Every boy in that car gasped.

"Oh, shit, Edward, I didn't know it was that bad," Jasper breathed.

"Neither did I," Edward replied. I felt his feather-light touch trail down my arms, slowly peeling off the long, brown bandages. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett cussed.

I guessed they were seeing my deep, deep knife wounds, some of them bleeding a little because of the little escape I tried back in the middle of nowhere.

"Bella?" Edward asked anxiously. "How did you get these?" I sighed and rolled my head over.

"Hmm?" I mumbled.

"How'd you get all these cuts over your arms and stuff?"

"A knife."

Silence. Then, "A knife…what do you mean, 'a knife'?"

"You know, a knife. That's what Charlie did to me, he'd just cut me all over, like he was drawing on my body," I replied. I sounded so groggy. Edward took a sharp intake of breath.

"What else did he do to you?" Edward asked through his teeth.

"I don't know, he did the knife, punched me, kicked me, pulled my hair, all sorts of stuff," I replied in an off-hand tone. I really wanted to sleep.

"How long has this been going on? Days? Weeks?"

"The first day I got here, so around a month or so, now can I please sleep?" I pleaded. Edward looked down at me.

"Of course you can, princess, just put your head down and relax…" I did as he told me to and sighed when his hands came in contact with my hip and cheek. For once, I didn't mind that he called me princess or that he was touching me. I just fell into the welcoming, swirling darkness of sleep.

_Edward's Point of View_

That son of a bitch! He was doing this to _my Bella._ She was so sweet and kind, she didn't deserve any of the torture he was putting her through.

"Edward, man, what the hell are we going to do?" Emmett asked worriedly. I looked at him like I would look at a green-skinned alien.

"We're going to go to the hospital and drop off Bella and then we're going to go to the FBI to report that lunatic." What else were we going to do?

"Yeah, that's swell and all, but where is she going to live? I mean, she can't go back to Phoenix with her grandma, part of the reason she moved here was because it was putting too much strain to have Bella live there, and her mom's dead. Where's she gonna live?"

I thought for a moment. Then I said slowly, "Well, Alice is her best friend, maybe she could just live with us until someone else comes to take her." Emmett and Jasper nodded. I kind of liked the idea of Bella living with us…I could keep her safe…but I was getting ahead of myself. First we had to go to the hospital and get her out of this hell she called her life, with her father being the devil.

"Okay, let's go," I muttered to the others. Bella stirred in her sleep and murmured my name once, and she reached her hand out…like…like she wanted me to stay. To stay there, in her dream. My heart warmed and my eyes softened as I considered that she might like me as much as I like her.

**I know, I know, it's a little short! That's okay, though, because the next one is going to be a lot longer…it'll be up soon. Please, please, please, please, please, please, REVIEW!!!!!! The more you guys review, the more it motivates me to get the next chapter up. Thanks!!!!!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, so…I think everyone knows what I am going to say…but…THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!!!!! (126 last time I checked, woot woot!!!!) Okay, so I hope you guys like it, and review!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Eleven**

_Bella's Point of View_

I rolled over, luxuriating the warmth and happiness that the thick blanket was bringing my body. I hadn't felt this way for a long time.

Then, there was an uncomfortable pulling feeling in my arms. I frowned, still half asleep, and began to tug the source of the discomfort out. Before I could, though, a hand stopped me, and a rich, velvety voice said, "Whoa there, horsey." I completely woke up to see Edward's dreamy face smiling down at me.

"What...happened?" It was supposed to sound firm and demanding, but it came out sounding weak and fragile.

"You passed out, then I took you to the hospital," Edward answered me softly. I swung my head around, internally panicking. They knew. I told them, and they knew. I would never be safe again. Suddenly, I started to thrash around violently in my bed, trying to dislodge all of the stupid needles. Nobody was allowed to know.

"Get me the hell out of here!" I screamed. "Get away from me! Damn it! Get everyone away from me!" Edward rushed over to me.

"Bella, calm down," he ordered in a firm voice. He took my waist in his hands and attempted to soothe me. It didn't work.

"Get your hands the hell off me! I need to get out of here!" I shrieked. Sure, my muscles and injuries were screaming at me to stop, but I needed to get out of here, no one could know about Charlie, or else he would kill me and everyone I knew.

"Bella, I'm going to have to make you calm down if you don't do it yourself," Edward told me, his voice rising.

"Get off me! I need to go back to my house! Just go away!" With that, Edward pinned my arms together with one hand and held me down with the other.

"Dad!" he called. "She needs something that will help her calm down." A gorgeous blond man with looks better than a movie star's peered at me around the corner of the hall.

"All right, son, here, I'll give her this," he walked over to where Edward was still trying to hold me down. He produced a syringe with a clear liquid in it from some sort of medical kit and shot it into my arm. Immediately afterwards, I felt calmer, and a little drowsy.

"There. Call me again if she needs something else," he told Edward, and then disappeared out of the room.

"Okay," Edward said. "Now that you're not being all crazy, tell me the whole story." I began to panic a little, but it stayed dull and unfocused, due to the stupid shit they shot into my body.

"N-n-no," I slurred. Edward rolled his eyes.

"You are so stubborn! Just tell me the story!" he exclaimed. I glared at him.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

We basically just did this a couple more times, and then we lapsed into an angry silence.

"Did your dad do this to you?" Edward finally broke the ice.

"Umm…no, he…didn't?" I tried to sound confident and be a good liar, but Edward's fierce gaze had me ending up the statement like a question.

"Yes, he did. Don't lie, you're horrible at it."

"Why are you asking me questions if you already know the answers?" I demanded frigidly. He sighed.

"Because, Bella, I need my theories confirmed. Now, answer truthfully." He eyed me until I nodded.

"Okay. So Charlie is the one that beats you up." I nodded a short little bob. He already knew, so I might as well just make him happy.

"And it's been for about a month?"

"Yeah."

"I wish you would have told someone earlier, Bella," he groaned. "Now you'll probably need therapy, you'll have to stay in the hospital longer, you can't-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I cut him off. "I can't pay for all this. I don't have a job, and Charlie spent all our money on beer." Edward smiled a little…sheepishly?

"Okay, so we contacted your aunt, and she's coming to live here from Colorado-she was moving anyway, so it's not a big deal," he added quickly. "Anyways, she won't be able to come here until she sells her house, and you're just going to live with us until she does that." I sat there, shocked.

"Of course, if that's all right with you, we don't want to do anything that you don't want…" he murmured. I sighed.

"I want to live with you guys, Edward, don't be silly. Alice is my best friend." I rolled my eyes.

"Okay…" he just looked at me. I began to feel a little self-conscious. What was he staring at?

"What?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Nothing." He shook his head.

Edward asked me about some more things, like what else Charlie did to me, and then sighed.

"What?" I asked again, except this time, it was curious, not uncomfortable.

"We went to the FBI about your father. They went to your house, and it looks like he left. His room has barely any clothes in it, and the entire place is kind of messy, so it seems like he almost had a spy, or something along those lines, to tell him if someone ratted on him. They're looking for him, but…" he frowned. I did too. Charlie, unmasked and on the loose, was a very, very dangerous threat to the entire population to Forks, and all the surrounding towns.

"Whatever," I muttered. "Hopefully they'll catch him."

Just then, the really good looking doctor came in again.

"Hi Bella, I'm Dr. Cullen, Edward's and Alice's dad, but please, call me Carlisle." He smiled warmly at me. I grinned back.

"Hi, Carlisle."

Carlisle did a couple checks on my vitals, and then started informing me about the extent of my injuries.

"You have a sprained wrist, a sprained ankle, lots of bruises, three of your ribs are cracked, you have three very deep cuts that needed eight stitched each, and your knee on your left leg is broken." I sat back, dumbfounded. I knew Charlie had messed me up, I just didn't know it was that bad.

"O…kay," I murmured, preoccupied with my thoughts. Beside me, I heard Edward hissing words to his father. He was trying to be secretive about it, but I heard little snatches from the conversation.

"No…she can't walk that well…of course not, she needs to sleep…yeah, sure, I'll tell her now." Edward strode towards me.

"Okay, Bella, you're getting out of the hospital in three days, then you're moving into our house. Alice, of course, already has your room set up, with a whole new wardrobe…" I grinned. Leave it to Alice to decorate a room and get tons of clothes within three hours.

"Anyways, you're coming home in three days, like I said, and then you start therapy the day after you come home." He screwed up his eyes a little, gauging my reaction.

Mostly, I didn't really do anything. I just nodded and asked in a weak voice, "Can I sleep now?" A sudden wave of fatigue had overtaken my senses, and I wanted to succumb to it.

Edward's expression immediately became soft and caring.

"Of course, princess, do you need anything?" I shook my head, but smiled slightly and crooked my finger towards him so he was leaning in by my mouth. Before, I wouldn't trust him so close to my face, but he had just been so gentle lately that I decided it was more than safe to whisper something into his ear.

"I like the name princess," I murmured. I had just enough time to catch the gleeful look dancing around like fire in his eyes before I sunk into the welcoming caverns of pleasant dreams.

**Yay, finally, a longish chappie! The next chapter will be up really soon, and it's gonna be about Alice's reaction, her shopping, and Bella's going to come home. Okay, so I think you know what I'm going to say next, but anyways…..read and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so I know a lot of you have been waiting for this chapter, so…enjoy. LOL. Anyways, you know the drill, read and REVIEW!!!!!!! Try to get to a hundred fifty five guys, woot woot! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does. **

**Chapter Twelve**

_Alice's Point of View_

"Thanks, Rose, I'll see you tomorrow," I yelled over my shoulder, slamming the car door shut and sprinting towards my front door. I had to get a ride with Rosalie today because my brother Edward, being the complete and absolute idiot that he is, either forgot to take me home or decided he just didn't want to. I wasn't exactly surprised- he did this kind of often, whenever he wanted to go make out with some slut that he called his 'girlfriend' in a parking lot.

_Although, _I thought, _I haven't seen him with anyone since he's been going after Bella…maybe they'd be good for each other…well, whatever._ I tossed the concern out of my head. Bella has already made it pretty clear she doesn't want to go out with Edward, but something about her just makes him keep on chasing her. I sighed. My brother was so complicated sometimes.

After I let myself into the huge white mansion, I saw Edward and Carlisle deep in conversation. Deciding I would get back at him for not taking me home today, I stealthily snuck up on Edward and whispered into his ear, "Boo." He jumped back three miles and let out a breath sharply. I laughed. He was so easy to spook.

Edward turned to glare at me.

"Don't do that," he hissed. I rolled my eyes and flopped down onto the couch.

"So, what's up?" I asked conversationally, picking up a water from the table. Edward gave Carlisle one of those 'should I tell her or not' looks. I could tell he didn't want me to see it, but I caught it anyways.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" I demanded. My father gave Edward a little nod.

"All right, well…" he began, "Bella's been-"

"What did you do to her, nitwit?" I cut in venomously. Edward spared me a withering look.

"Nothing, you idiot, just keep listening. Anyways, as I was saying before I was most rudely interrupted, Bella has been…abused. Badly, by her father." He stopped.

The first emotion I felt was confusion. Bella wasn't abused. She would have told me so. But then, little things began to click in my head.

She had bruises all the time, which she claimed were from her tripping. According to Angela, she never wore shorts, only sweatpants and a long t-shirt. She always was very uncomfortable when she talked about her father. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening. What did Bells ever do to deserve beatings from her father?

Very, very suddenly, a wave of white-hot anger engulfed my senses. Whoever had done that to my gentle best friend, one that I would gladly give my life for, was going to pay dearly. Very, very dearly.

I didn't realize my feet had carried me swiftly over to the door until Edward was pulling me back. I also was screaming, "I'm going to kill her father! The SON of a BITCH!!!!!! Who the hell does he think he is, pushing around my best friend like that? Well, whoever the hell he thinks he is, he is going to pay, the motherfucker!" **(A/N: Sorry for the language, I just need to get across exactly how pissed off Alice is right now.)**

"Alice, calm down!" Carlisle commanded in a voice full of authority. "Bella will be fine. In fact, she's going to live with us for a while. So why don't you go shopping and get things off your mind; I'm sure Bella would love it if you decorated her room and got her new clothes as a welcome present." He thought for a moment while a smile spread across my face. Shopping was the best thing in my life…next to my family, Jasper, Bella, and Rosalie, of course.

"And also, sister dearest," Edward called, "watch your language." I turned around to scowl at him. He used those words and more on a regular basis.

"Then you, brother dearest," I said back as sickly sweet as I could manage, "should listen to your own advice." I didn't watch to see Edward's reaction to my rather clever comeback, because with that, I pivoted on my heel and ran towards Rosalie's house so we could go shopping for Bella's room, fighting giggle attacks the entire way there.

_Edward's Point of View_

I sighed and rubbed my temples. Alice was such a handful sometimes.

Really, that wasn't the only reason I was massaging my head. Bella was safe, for the time being, anyways, but I needed to find her father and bring him to justice. People like him needed to be locked up in jail, they were so messed up that no one could fix them in one of those mental hospitals.

Obviously, I tried to get the FBI to go to Bella's house and arrest him, but it wasn't that easy. Her father seems to have left, disappeared, whatever you want to call it, and it didn't appear he was coming back. He had barely any clothes in his closet, and chances are he had a spy or something like that to tell him to get out of there, not unless he wanted to get busted.

The other reason would be I finally discovered my true feelings for Bella. Well, actually, not really, considering I found those out a long time ago and I've just been denying them since then. So, today would be the day I'm finally accepting the fact that I like Bella. I don't love her…not yet…but I'm defiantly falling, and hard, for my sister's best friend. I sighed again. Sooner or later, whether I like it or not, I'll have to tell Bella my true feelings.

_Alice's Point of View_

"Rose! Jazz! Open up!" I yelled, pounding on the oak door of their mansion. Suddenly, the entrance swung open to reveal a very irritated looking Jasper.

"You don't have to shout, Alice," he muttered, but enfolded my tiny form into a hug.

"Hey, can you get Rose?" I asked. He smiled, kissed me briefly but sweetly on the lips, and disappeared into the house.

I sighed and stepped in, checking my nails. This could take a while. Their house was almost as big as ours, and it always took forever to find _anything _in here.

"Hi, Alice," Rosalie murmured from behind me, making me jump. I hadn't realized she'd been walking up behind me. It seemed like she was soundless when she walked.

"Hey, Rosalie…" I greeted her quickly, then plunged into the whole story with no hesitation.

"And so we have to go shopping for her new wardrobe and her room decorations," I finished. Rosalie just stared at me, her mouth forming a little 'o'. Then, she became just as angry as I had, cussing and cursing Charlie to hell a thousand times over. I just picked at my nails until she was done- no one could calm Rosalie down while she was in the middle of a tirade.

"Okay, Alice," she said, controlling her voice. I could tell she was trying to forget about her fury so I could actually talk to her like a sane person. "Let's go." I nodded happily and jumped into her flashy red BMW.

We chatted the entire way there about what we were going to get for Bella's room, as we were shopping for that first. Finally, after much debating, we decided on dark pink walls, a polka dotted bed that had the same color as the walls for the background color and brown spots for the design, a light brown desk, a milk chocolate leather chair, lots of posters and picture frames, and an oak bedside would suit Bella while she was staying at our house.

After a long drive, we arrived at the hardware store. Even though Rose and I had already come to the conclusion of what we wanted for Bella's room, we still bickered over what to get.

"No, Rosalie, that totally and completely does not suit Bella! She hates black!"

"No! It would totally go with everything else we picked out!" I rolled my eyes. Rosalie had picked out a pitch black reading lamp from the shelf and was trying to convince me to get it. I was stubborn, though, and she grudgingly returned the item.

"All righty then, now that that's done," I said brightly as we left the store after forty five minutes, "let's go shopping for her new wardrobe!"

"Yay!" Rosalie squealed, clapping and jumping up and down. She looked like a five year old.

"I know, I'm really excited too, let's go!" Rosalie sped off at more than twice the legal speed limit towards the huge mall not even ten minutes from here. Seven, actually, if you go at Rosalie's speed.

We came to an abrupt halt to my heaven on earth: the mall.

"Come on, Ali, let's go to American Eagle first," Rosalie yelled over her shoulder.

We waltzed into the store, and there were clothes everywhere. We shopped until we _almost_ dropped, which was about for two hours, and then Rose drove to our house to help with all the decorating.

We got everything done except the painting, which would have to be completed with all the boys, and stepped back to admire our work.

The brown and magenta polka dotted bedspread and the nightstand complemented the room perfectly…besides the walls, of course, which were currently a non-matching off-white color.

"Those walls look horrible," Rosalie sighed, echoing my thoughts. "But we'll have to paint those later." I nodded. Suddenly, Edward poked his head into the room.

"Hey, ladies, Bella's coming home in a couple of days, so you have until then to finish up the room." With that, he left…to go back to the hospital, I guessed. Carlisle had informed me that he hadn't left Bella's side until now, and that was just to get something to eat.

_Weird,_ I thought. _He must really care about her…he's never done anything like this for any other girl, ever…_

"Rose?" I asked, turning towards her.

"Yeah?"

"Does Edward seem…different to you?" Rosalie's face scrunched up slightly in thoughtfulness.

"Yes, he does," she said slowly. "Ever since he met Bella. I haven't seen him kissing one girl, or even flirting with one, save Bella. And, he seems…nicer. I don't know. I like the 'new' Edward better, though," she told me.

"Yeah, me too. And Bella seems to be warming up to him…really gradually, yeah, but still," I added. Rosalie nodded.

I sighed and pulled Rosalie towards my room, still pondering about what on earth Bella had that had changed my brother.

_Bella's Point of View_

As soon as I woke up, I felt a little pang of disappointment that Edward wasn't there. _Silly,_ I told myself. _Who cares if he isn't here? It doesn't matter, besides, you'll see him soon._

I cheered up with the last part. I would see him soon. That made my spirits lighten up.

_You like him, don't you,_ a small voice accused me in the back of my head. I sighed. If my own mind was asking if I like him, then I couldn't deny it anymore.

I really did like him. A lot. More than anybody else I'd ever met. I sighed again. This was so complicated. He probably didn't like me back, but I'd have to tell him anyways. It would be too hard to keep secret, since Alice is my best friend and I'm going to be living with him for the next couple of weeks.

The door opened and Edward peeped his head in. _Great, _I thought sarcastically. Well, at least I can get it over with.

I sat up against the fluffy white pillows. "Hi," I mumbled shyly. He looked at me dazzlingly. There was a little comfortable pause before we both blurted out, "I have to tell you something," in unison. I blushed a light pink while Edward grinned.

"You first," he prodded me. I shook my head.

"No, you. This is important, so I want to tell you it last." He sighed and fiddled with his hands. This surprised me. Edward usually wasn't nervous.

"Okay," he said finally. "I don't really know the best way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it-no beating around the bush." He looked me straight in the eye. "I like you, Bella. I like you a lot. It's okay if you don't like me, but I just needed to get my feelings off my chest." He sat down in a nearby chair and put his head in his hands. Slowly, gently, I lifted his chin with my first finger.

"So do I," I whispered. "I wanted to tell you that. I realized that I liked you from the beginning, I just haven't wanted to get close to anyone, after…my mom," I choked out. His eyebrows shot up a little in surprise, but otherwise, he betrayed no emotion.

Suddenly, he leaned over and tilted his head and pressed his lips against mine. It was a sweet kiss that I eagerly returned, and slowly, it became more and more intense, until we were in full-out make-out mode.

A booming guffaw sounded behind me. "Get a room," Emmett laughed. I pulled back, flustered and blushing furiously. That only made him snort harder.

"Technically, we are in a room," Edward replied smoothly, taking one of my hands and intertwining it with his own. I smiled. I didn't care if Alice would go crazy, or if Emmett would tease me, or if every single girl in the school would talk about me and shoot me glares behind Edward's back. I was just glad that he felt the same way I did, and that was all that mattered.

**Okay, I know, again, a little bit of a suckish ending. That's okay, though, because Edward and Bella finally kissed! Yay! Anyways, really sorry guys, but I'm going to camp for a couple days and won't be able to update for a while! Only until Friday, though. Anyways, read and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Lalalalalalalalaaaa…okay, I know, I'm weird, I just wanted to put a little tune there at the end…LOL.)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, everyone, I** **am back from camp (obviously…) so…yeah. Here's chapter thirteen.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight and all that jazz. Stephenie Meyer does. **

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Bella's Point of View_

"Shut up, Emmett," I growled. He wouldn't just deal the fact that Edward and I kissed. Not without making a scene, that is.

"So you guys just…kissed? Without anyone telling you to? Wow, Bella, I really didn't think that you would date this little kiddie over here. You know how many girls he's kissed?"

"Emmett, just shut the hell up, please!" Edward snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and first finger.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; did I upset Eddie-kins?" Emmett asked in a mocking baby voice. That did it. I was about to slap Emmett across the face with all that I had, but before I could strike, someone's strong, warm hand caught my own and pulled it down. I turned around to glare at Edward.

"Why'd you stop me?" I said frigidly. "I really wanted to hit him. Emmett's getting on my nerves." Edward did my favorite, heartbreakingly beautiful smile before asking, "Are you upset with me?"

"Yes."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to change that, won't we?" Edward murmured, leaning down towards my face. I eagerly complied, stretching my neck so he wouldn't have to bend down as far. The kiss was sweet and gentle, yet also passionate.

Someone behind us cleared their throat. I turned in full-blush mode to see Edward's dad grinning.

"Well, now that you're finished with _that_," he said, "I'm here to announce you can come to our house in a couple of hours. You're healing at a fast rate, and since I have some of the equipment from the hospital at my home, you can just rest at our house. I'm sure you don't want to stay in the hospital any longer than you have to." I shook my head vigorously. No way was I going to stay in this disease filled place when I had another better option.

_Three hours later…_

"Okay, that's the last of your stuff," Edward proclaimed. We had gone back to my old house to get the rest of my skimpy collection of clothes. I didn't have any trinkets, so my entire luggage was packed into one little duffel bag that I found lying around Charlie's old room.

"Yeah…" I murmured distractedly. I was taking in the house, as this might be the last time I would ever see it.

Really, it wasn't that bad. Charlie had just covered it up so much that the house looked horrible.

"Are you ready to go?" I heard a voice whisper in my ear. I jumped a little. Edward's face was smiling down at me.

"Um…yeah. Just…wait a second," I whispered, my voice cracking a little. Edward nodded and took my hand.

"You know," I muttered, "this is where he used to beat me." At the sound of me saying 'beat', his body immediately tensed up.

"What?" he asked, even though I knew he heard me perfectly well.

"This is where he used to beat me. Here, in the kitchen. Or in the living room. There are blood stains everywhere." Suddenly, my eyes began to tear up. I quickly blinked them back, though, just out of habit.

"It's okay, Bella, you can cry," Edward told me softly, wrapping his arms around my waist. I shook my head.

"No, I can't cry, it's like showing everyone weakness-"

"Bella," Edward said firmly, "it's not like showing weakness at all. It shows that you have enough emotion and you need some sort of outlet to let it out." I nodded. My eyes began to water once again, but for the first time in my life, I didn't stop them. I let them roll off my cheeks while Edward hugged me tightly to his chest, probably ruining his shirt in the process.

I wasn't just crying because I was back at the house and painful memories were resurfacing. Sure, that was part of the reason, but defiantly not all of it. I was weeping out all of the tears that I'd kept bottled up inside me. I was crying for all the beatings, for my mother's death, for the agony I knew Phil, her fiancée, endured because if it.

I cried for five minutes straight, letting it all loose. Then, finally, I pulled myself away from Edward's embrace, as much as I wanted to stay there, and attempted to pick up the small duffel. Note the attempted part, because as soon as I lifted it off the ground, the puny amount of weight dragged me back to the floor. Before I could collide with the ground, though, Edward, my personal hero, caught me with his arms secured around my waist.

"Let me carry that," he said, his voice gentle and tender. I nodded and pushed the bag towards him. But before I revoked my hand, Edward took it and pulled me up to my feet so our faces were only centimeters apart.

"Are you okay?" he breathed. I nodded.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, he swooped down and placed a small kiss on my lips. I was surprised, not unpleasantly so, but I kissed him right back, probably with more force than he thought I could muster.

Still supporting me a little, Edward took one hand and laid it on my head, while I surrounded his body with my arms, trapping him there, never wanting to let go. Like our other kiss, the intensity grew and grew, but finally, Edward had to break it.

"We have to go," he said, flashing me a dazzling smile. I was temporarily dazed, but then I nodded. Woozily, I started towards the Volvo, the car we came in.

I heard Edward chuckle, then he lightly picked me up and carried me bridal style to the silver car. I giggled. Just as he was about to open the passenger door for me to get in, though, I swung my legs out of his arms and trapped him against the car, my head tilting a little.

"Five minutes?" I asked, a pleading look entering my features. He laughed lowly.

"How about at the house? Our rooms are right next to each other…" I nodded vigorously.

Edward sped, much to my discomfort, at over twice the legal speed limit.

"In a hurry?" I asked nervously. He smiled.

"Don't worry Bells, we won't crash, and I've never gotten a ticket."

"Mmhmm," I murmured, unconvinced. He smirked. We reached his huge white mansion in ten minutes, although it was supposed to take at least twenty.

For a moment, all I did was gawk at their house. It was freaking huge, white, and beautiful. I loved it-it seemed do elegant and pristine, but not quite like the too-afraid-to-touch-anything-because-you-were-afraid-it-would-break sort of elegant.

We tried to let ourselves in without Alice, who was in the living room watching TV, notice us, but no such luck.

"Hey, Edward, Bella! So, aren't you guys excited? I have the perfect shade for your room Bella, it's so _you_…" she continued to ramble on while Edward dodged around her and made a beeline for the lightly colored wooden stairs, carrying me again.

"Whatever, Edward!" I heard Alice call. I could almost hear her eyes rolling.

Finally, we reached his room. His golden carpet was thick and felt good beneath my feet when he put me down. There was an enormous music collection that filled the wall opposite to the one that was completely windows. He didn't have too much furniture, just a large bed with nightstand that was a shade darker than the floor, a black leather couch, and a light, milky brown desk that was next to the closet, but I thought it looked good without a ton of little unneeded objects strewn around. It suited Edward more.

"Ms. Swan, shall we?" Edward asked, a small smile playing at his lips. He gestured towards the inviting couch, and as soon as both of our behinds hit the couch, we were already leaning in towards each other, our lips begging to touch.

As Edward and I were making out passionately on the black leather, I thought, _this is home, and I never want to leave._

**Okay, so I have two things I want to say.**

**Firstly, I have a new story that I want you all to read and REVIEW, it's called One Step Forward, Two Steps Back. Please? You all get a cookie and a hug if you do. ******

**Secondly, I need you all to REVIEW THE STORY IF YOU READ IT BECAUSE YOU ALL WILL MAKE ME A VERY HAPPY PERSON IF YOU DO!!! Lol. So, the point is, review.**


	14. Chapter 14

****READ THIS****

**Hey, everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just been really busy! Okay, so here's the fourteenth chapter, hope you like it! Oh, and can I ask, maybe 186 reviews? By the way, I have two polls on my profile that I want you all to do! One is for this story, one is for my other one. Please vote! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I am obviously not Stephenie Meyer, so I regretfully do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Bella's Point of View_

"Come on sweetheart, it's time to get up," I heard Edward's velvety voice whisper into my ear. I swatted at his head groggily.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled. He chuckled.

"Bella, Alice has a bucket full of ice water, and she's not afraid to use it, so unless you want to get soaking wet…" he trailed off. Suddenly energized, I jumped out of bed.

"Morning," I yawned, heading for the bathroom.

"Morning," I heard him call just before I closed the door. Sighing, I turned towards the large mirror and stared at my reflection.

I looked horrible. My hair was sticking out in all directions, and my eyes were dull and had heavy bags under them. _God, how the hell did he keep from laughing at me?_ I wondered.

Quickly stripping off my pajamas, I turned on the shower and hopped in, luxuriating the warmth and comfort of the steamy water. Ten minutes after I had washed my hair and soaped up my body, I was still letting the liquid relax all of the muscles of my body.

They needed relaxing because I was super-duper anxious about going to school. What would the kids think?

_Probably that I'm a weirdo and a freak_, I thought glumly. Nobody will want to be my friend after this, probably, except the Cullens.

_Whatever,_ I dismissed. _What will happen is what will happen._

Slowly, I got ready for school, pulling on the black skinny jeans, studded belt, a grey, tight fitting shirt, red and black checkered sweatshirt, and white high top converse that Alice had laid out for me. I didn't really want to wear the outfit-plain jeans and a t-shirt would have been fine by me- but Alice had threatened to throw my skateboard away if I didn't.

Finally, after I was done, I went downstairs, hoping I could sneak by my pixie of a friend so she couldn't criticize my style and drag me upstairs to renovate my body. No such luck.

"Where do you think you're going, missy?" Alice shouted as I opened the back door. Dang, I'd been so close!

"I'm going to school. Where are you going?"

"Oh, no you're not. First of all, you have absolutely no make-up on; you've done nothing with your hair, and don't have laces in your shoes!"

"Well, Alice, I don't wear make-up; hell, I don't think I even own any, my hair looks completely fine down, and I like my shoes without any laces in them."

Alice grabbed my hand and started to pull me upstairs to my personal hell: her bathroom.

"Bella, you're so pretty, you just need some tweaks here or there…" I began to struggle.

"Edward!" I screamed. "She's got me! Save me!" His gorgeous face popped out at me from around the corner.

"Sorry," he grinned. "I kind of agree with her, so I'm not going to help you."

"Some boyfriend you are!" I screeched. He snorted. Alice took advantage of my distraction of talking to Edward to yank me into her bedroom-sized bathroom.

"Bella, are you going to sit still, or will I have to get the guys to come hold you down." Smelling defeat, I sighed and plopped down into her salon chair, promising to be good.

"Yeah, Alice, I'll sit still." For the next twenty minutes, she applied eye make-up and blush to my face and French braided my hair.

"Well," she sniffed when she was done, "I can't do anything about the shoelaces right now, 'cause I'm out of time, but at least your make-up and hair look decent." Meanwhile, I was gaping at my reflection.

"This doesn't even look like me…wow, Alice, you're a genius."

"Aren't I?" she asked smugly. I rolled my eyes.

Eventually, Alice allowed me to leave her cavernous bathroom and go back down to the kitchen. Edward was waiting for me, a grin on his face.

"Hey," he greeted me, shoving a granola bar my way.

"I'm mad at you," I replied bluntly, accepting breakfast.

"Why?"

"You let Alice get to me."

"Well, I guess I'll have to change that," he murmured, leaning down towards my face. I don't know if he was aware of it or not, but he was utterly intoxicating. Lightly, he pressed his lips to mine.

"Are you mad at me now?" he asked softly. I nodded, a sharp little bob of my head. He deepened the kiss slightly, exhaling and letting his sweet breath wash over me.

"How about now?" I couldn't resist any longer; I just shook my head 'no', sighing while I did so.

"No," I breathed. "But I still want you to kiss me." He smiled and let his tongue trace the edge of my bottom lip.

"Ew, get a room, I'm eating here," Emmett, who had slept over last night, complained loudly from across the table. I flushed deep red and pulled back from Edward hastily. Obviously, I hadn't heard him come in.

"Whatever, Emmett," Edward replied in an annoyed tone.

Eventually, breakfast was over, so I had to go to my dreaded school.

"But Edward," I said for the millionth time, "I don't want to go to school. Everyone's going to be all over my case and I'll be under pressure and everything and that will make me more clumsy than usual and I'll trip and fall and I'll have to go to the emergency room again and it will be your fault."

"Did you say that all in one breath?"

"Stop avoiding the question."

"Technically, you didn't ask me a question."

"You know what I mean, smartass." Edward snickered at that.

"Well, I get attention all the time, and I don't trip over nothing."

"You weren't born with being eternally clumsy," I retorted. He slipped his arm around my waist and whispered into my ear, "Relax, Bella, no one will be all over your case or whatever. Just chill." After ten minutes, he was finally able to coax me out of my shell of nervousness and relax.

I was joking around with Emmett when we pulled into an empty space near the cafeteria in the parking lot. Suddenly, my nerves flared up, and I my hands began to fidget. Edward noticed and took them in his own.

"Relax, like I said, Bella, no one will make a huge deal about this." I sighed and nodded.

Right when we got out of the car, though, I was shot glares from every single girl within a twenty foot radius of me. Especially Lauren and her wannabes.

"She is such a slut," I heard one of them whisper. "Who does she think she is, taking Edward from Lauren like that? She totally had dibs on him."

_What the hell?_ I thought. _Lauren had dibs on Edward? He never even had a girlfriend before._ I dismissed the thoughts, though, when Edward claimed my attention, asking me if he could walk me to class. I happily complied.

Things were pretty uneventful until lunch, aside from some whispering and pointing. I let that roll off my back, though, because I knew it would pass soon- I was just the new thing to gossip about. Tomorrow they all will have found something or someone new to keep their minds occupied.

Anyways, we were sitting down at our table, talking about how our Spanish teacher had a huge wart on his nose, when the queen bitch of the school, Lauren, approached me. I noticed her first.

"Yes, Lauren?" I asked. "Is there something you want?"

"Yeah," she replied in an unpleasantly high, nasally voice. I waited for a second so she could continue, but she just stood there, sticking her butt out.

"Which would be?" I prodded, as she wasn't going to say anything else unless I did.

"Oh, right. To stay away from Edward, because we're going out." I coughed to hide a laugh. Yeah, right.

"Um, Lauren?" Edward said. "No, we're not. I'm going out with Bella." She turned in his direction.

"Eddie," she crooned, "no, you aren't. You don't go out with sluts like her. Me and you are going out, remember?"

"Uh, excuse me?" I cut in indignantly. "_I'm _a slut? What about _you_?"

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "I am not a slut." I eyed her super-short miniskirt and low-cut v-neck.

"Well, whatever," she dismissed, waving her hand in the air. "You just have to stay away from Edward, and we'll be fine. Now come on, Eddie."

"No," I said simply.

"What did you say?" she asked in what I think she meant to be a dangerous voice.

"I said no. Edward is my boyfriend, and I like him a lot. So I'm not staying away from him." By now, I was standing.

"Listen, bitch," she hissed, taking a step towards me, "you don't deserve Edward. You're abused, and Edward doesn't like damaged goods." Even though I knew somewhere deep down whatever she said meant nothing, her words struck a nerve. Obviously, it showed on my face and body language, so she smirked and continued.

"Yeah, he doesn't like you, and you don't deserve him. You're abused, and you don't deserve anybody. I wonder why your dad hit you…probably because you killed your mom or something," she laughed. I gasped for breath and clutched at my chest. Telling me that I wasn't good enough for Edward because I was abused was bad enough, but bringing my mom into this, and declaring that I murdered her, was a low blow.

"Get out, Lauren," Edward commanded in an icy voice, jumping out of his chair and starting towards me.

"Sure, whatever. See you later, Eddie-kins," Lauren sang. She turned, about to leave, but something made her turn back around.

"You too, Swan," she said nastily, and shoved my shoulders back hard.

A normal person would have just stumbled back a few steps. But, since I was super clumsy and I was already weak from just getting out of the hospital, coupled with the fact I was in shock from her saying all those things about me, I crashed to the ground, broken ribs first.

White-hot agony exploded in my chest where my broken bones were beginning to heal, causing me to scream in pain. As soon as I fell, Edward was by my side.

"Bella, are you okay? Bella? Bella!" he said frantically, rubbing my back with his thumb.

"I'm…fine," I managed to pant out. "Just wait a second. It'll pass." By now, everyone in the cafeteria was crowding into a tight little circle around me and Edward. I gasped and writhed for a couple seconds, then the pain started to trickle away, little by little.

"Here, sweetie, take these," I heard a kind voice say. When I looked up, Mrs. Hammond's sky blue eyes were boring into my own. In her palm, she was holding two little pills-painkillers, I guessed.

I quickly swallowed the medicine and sighed in relief when the agony subsided much quicker.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, sitting up with Edward's help.

"You're welcome. Do you need anything else, or can I leave?"

"Naw, I'm fine, you can go."

"Okay hon, just come to my office if you want anything." I nodded, and she stood up and left, after telling everyone to get to class.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked in a concerned voice, pulling my arm to help me to my feet.

"Yeah," I muttered. "And people won't make a big deal out of this, my ass," I added after a second. He snorted.

"There's nothing to see here, so get out!" he shouted to the bystanders. Everyone who was pretending not to listen scurried away. Edward and I chuckled.

Even though I laughed, I could still feel a little of the burning agony in my side, and I knew that I had to get back Lauren Mallory even if it was the last thing I did.

**Sorry for the lame ending! But as you can see, this might turn out to be an all-out prank war between Bella and Lauren! So…yeah. Ha. Oh, and when you guys review, I want to know some things about the story so far.**

**Your favorite part of the story so far **

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	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, everyone!**

**Okay, so I am so sorry about not updating in such a long time. Damn writers block to the fiery pits of hell! Lol. And I won't be updating for at least a week because I'm going on vacation. Sorry. But I see I have 193 reviews, so thanks to all that have reviewed! But I have a question- 200 reviews? Please? It would mean so much to me! Love you all, hope you like the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Twilight, as I am not Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Bella's Point of View_

Edward and I made our way to Biology, joking and goofing off the entire way there. Secretly, though, I was plotting ways in my head to get back at that bitch, Lauren. While I was debating if I should replace the contents of her shampoo bottle with neon orange hair dye, my legs gave out yet again.

"Shit," I cussed, waiting for the impact of the floor to slam into my back. Before it could, though, I found Edward's arms around my waist, concern pooling in his emerald depths.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, helping me to my feet.

"Yeah," I muttered back.

"It's okay sweetie, you're starting therapy soon, so you'll be okay…" he trailed off as he saw the horrified expression on my face.

Images flashed through my head…Charlie beating the shit out of me, telling me this was his kind of 'therapy'… how Renee was taking those pills from therapy so she could get over Phil's death…how all the crazy kids at my old school used to go to 'therapy', but it never seemed to work….

I didn't realize that I was screaming and kicking until Edward had me pinned against a wall.

"You can't make me go! Don't make me go, I don't want to go!" I shrieked frantically, shoving Edward's arms to make them loosed, but he held on tight.

"Bella, calm down," he whispered. When I just ignored him and continued to shout, he pressed his lips to mine, urgent and soft all at the same time. I immediately became more interested in making out than being a maniac, so I kissed back eagerly, wrapping my arms around his neck, curling around his unruly hair…

"Swan, get off him! He's mine!" I heard a nasally voice command, and I felt myself being shoved backwards. I stumbled but regained my balance quickly, in time to see Lauren throwing herself all over Edward, attempting to press her thin, hard lips to his soft, full ones.

"Eddie," she crooned, "I would so love it if you started to kiss me back."

"Umm…" Edward replied, flustered, "can you please get off me?"

"Eddie, why would I want to do that?" she purred. At that, I had it. Striding up strongly towards Lauren's dangerously skinny figure, I grabbed the backs of her unnaturally tan arms and yanked her to the other side of the hallway.

"God, bitch, when will you ever learn?" I snapped exasperatedly, claiming Edward's hand. Lauren narrowed her eyes at me.

"Well, Swannie, I don't need to learn, I already know all that I need to- that you're a slut and I'm not. So you can shut up."

"Yeah? Well, let me tell you something, Lauren-"

Edward cut me off, murmuring soothingly in my ear, "She's not worth it, she's not worth it." I took a deep breath, looked into his deep green eyes, and nodded. He smiled.

Meanwhile, Lauren was approaching us with her fist raised. As soon as I turned my head in her direction, she threw a weak punch at my jaw. I almost snickered at her lame attempt, but instead, I elevated my own hand and curled it into a ball, throwing a mean right hook straight into the little socket in between your ear and jaw. Hey, if I had to live with Charlie, I may as well just pick some things up.

After a there was a little _snap_ coming from her mouth, Lauren shrieked in pain and pointed a finger at me, while the other hand flew up to massage the bottom right part of her face.

"You little bitch!" she yelled. "I think you broke my jaw! I didn't even hit you that hard!" At that moment, a teacher walked by and saw the entire thing.

"Children!" his voice rang out. I craned my neck slightly to see Mr. Varner standing by the lockers with his hands on his pudgy little hips. Great, I thought sarcastically. Not only does a teacher catch me punching Lauren in the face, but it's the one teacher that can't stand me for any reason at all.

"Come to the principal's office with me, now!" he instructed curtly, pivoting on his heel and heading towards Mr. Greene's office. I sighed. I could try and run away, but that would just cause more trouble for me and Edward, because I knew he'd follow me.

Eventually, we reached the principal's office, Mr. Varner maintaining an icy silence the entire way there. I attempted talking to him, trying to explain what really happened, but every time I opened my mouth to speak, he threw me a death glare that said _shut your mouth or else you will be in bigger trouble than you already are._

I felt slightly nervous as we approached the heavy oak door. I was pretty sure Edward's parents wouldn't be _too _mad with me if they found out, but hey, you never know. It's not like they were my actual guardians, so they most likely wouldn't be mad that _I _got in trouble, but dragging Edward into the mess might make them kind of pissed.

"Go on in," grunted Mr. Varner, opening the door. Mr. Greene, the principal, looked up from his work. Upon seeing the four of us, his eyes widened a little, but he shoved the paper out of the way, folded his hands, and asked, "Mr. Varner, what is the meaning of this?"

"I saw Miss Swan here punching Miss Mallory in the jaw. I'm not sure what her reasons were, but I needed to break up the fight before it got any worse," he informed Mr. Greene in a self-important voice. I rolled my internal eye. Obviously, Mr. Varner thought himself a hero for breaking up two high-school girl's catfight.

"I see," Mr. Greene answered, narrowing his eyes and turning to us three. "And what did this young man have to do with it?"

"Nothing really. He was there, though, so I took him with," answered the math teacher in a voice that had a hint of disappointment in it. Again, the eye inside of my head went in a circle. Honestly, if he hated kids that much that he went out of his way to get them in trouble, why was he a teacher?

"Yes, well, maybe he can give us an unbiased account of what really happened," suggested the principal. "Go ahead, Mr. Cullen."

"Sir!" shrieked Lauren. "He most certainly cannot give an 'unbiased account' of what happened, because Bella Swan is his girlfriend, so he's going to try and get her out of trouble!"

"Edward would never-" I started, my voice heated and rising, but before I could even finish my sentence, Mr. Greene overrode me.

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose I can just listen to all of your stories, and I'll decide what to do. Really, I think it would be okay just for Mr. Cullen here to say the story, no matter who his girlfriend is- I've always found him to be a very trustworthy and honorable boy. But if you insist, Miss Mallory, then I suppose you can go first. Mr. Varner, you can go back to your class, I can handle this," he dismissed. Lauren nodded and started into a full explanation of her version of what happened in the hallway, painting me as the bad guy, her as the innocent victim, and Edward as my evil accomplice. Naturally.

"Well, Mr. Greene, I was just walking to my Biology class from the ladies room when I saw Bella and Edward going to the same place. I politely said hello and put my hand out, but when Bella saw that, she went up to me and…" she paused for what I think she meant to be dramatic effect, "she punched me! Edward just laughed, and then she punched me again! And then she was about to do it again, but then Mr. Varner came to my rescue and he stopped her from her maniac attacks. So, Mr. Greene, I think you should expel them both from this school." She sat down in a hard-backed chair, obviously pleased with herself. I snorted very quietly. She honestly thought she could get away with spewing that shit to Mr. Greene and get me expelled. Hell, she didn't even _say _it in a convincing voice, much less make up a believable story.

"I see," said the principal skeptically. It was obvious he didn't buy Lauren's account. "You two, let me hear what you have to say."

I said what really happened, even the part where I punched her and made her jaw crack. It wasn't like I could really get into trouble for that, it was technically just me defending myself.

When I finished speaking, Edward told him the same story as I did when given the signal. I could tell, though, that he was trying to make me punching Lauren not sound as bad by saying, "So Bella defended herself," glossing over the part where her mouth made a gross snapping sound.

"I see," Mr. Greene said after Edward had concluded. He looked from Lauren, to me, to Edward. "Well, as two of you have the same story, I am more inclined to believe Bella and Edward, but as I wasn't there, I can't say who's telling the truth and who's not. So, even though I regret it, I'm giving you all three days of after-school detention, for tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday. It'll be for an hour, and you can report to Mr. Varner's room. Have a good day." He turned back to the paperwork he was working on before we came in. I was furious. I didn't care if I got detention, but Edward didn't do anything!

"Mr. Greene," I started off, livid, but Edward squeezed my hand, anticipating what I was about to say, and murmured, "Forget it. I don't care. Let's just get out of here." I was about to protest, but when I looked into his emerald eyes, my resolve melted, and I nodded slowly and allowed myself to be pulled out of the office by my boyfriend. When we got out, I saw Lauren trying to sneak past us.

"Lauren," I called casually, almost in a friendly voice. She turned unwillingly in my direction. "This isn't over," I continued. "I _will _get you back."

And with that, I pivoted on my heel and strode back to Biology, beckoning to Edward, who, with a nasty glance at the skinny girl behind us, followed in suit, catching up to me with his hand around my waist, both of us plotting ways to get back Lauren in detention tomorrow.

**This wasn't the best chapter, but it had to be done (: So anyways, next chapter will be much better. Remember, read and review, review, review! **


	16. Chapter 16

**So....here is the next chappie! Enjoy! Oh, and also, thank you so much for the ideas, sis, you rock!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Bella's Point of View_

"Stupid, slutty, conceited, good for nothing bitch!" I fumed to Edward when we got home. We were in his room, laying on his bed together. He took all of it peacefully, nodding at each word I said.

"I hate that damn Lauren's guts. God, why the hell was she being like she was in the damn principal's office? This is sooooo unfair…"

"Bella," Edward said, looking rather amused. "You did punch her."

I stared at him in surprise. He thought I was upset about landing _myself _in detention? No, no, no. I couldn't care less about what the school did to me- it felt like relief after Charlie. I cared that they got _him _in detention with me.

"Edward," I said patiently, as though I was explaining a simple concept to a small child, "I don't give a damn about-"

"Language, please!" Esme told me as she walked into the room. I nodded, secretly thinking I was rather glad that she wasn't here when I was calling Lauren names.

"Fine. I don't care if they put me in all the detentions in the world. It seems almost _nice _after my dad and everything. The thing is, they put you in detention just because you were there. That's what I care about." Edward looked rather taken aback, even though I'd already told him this, but this was the first time it sunk in.

"Uh…Bella? I've been to more detentions than Alice has got pairs of shoes. So honestly, one more isn't going to kill me. I don't even care that much, so long as it's with you."

Oh, right, I forgot. Esme was totally fine with Edward getting in trouble- when she heard our reasons, she said that it was unfair either of us got a detention. I think, deep down, I always knew she was never going to be mad about something like this, but hey, I'm an overemotional teenager- I blow everything way out of proportion.

"Well, I still think it was really dumb of the principal to put you in anyways," I told him stubbornly. He rolled his eyes.

After that, we talked about little things, like our homework and sports teams, stuff like that. In my mind, though, I was reminding myself to talk to Alice about getting Lauren back.

Eventually, Edward had to take a shower, so I left to go find the Prank Queen's room in the gargantuan mansion. Finally, after five minutes of wandering around spotless hallways, I found it. Of course, it had posters, decorations, and a florescent heart on it, making the room stand out like a beacon among the otherwise plain doors.

I knocked hesitantly. Instantly, the covered door was flung open, and the little pixie was dragging me into her room. I looked around, gaping.

She had a stylish black and white patterned bed spread with matching pillows. Her headboard, nightstand, and dresser, which was dotted with perfumes, make up, and sunglasses, were dark oak, and she had a light pink canopy surrounding the sleeping area. Alice had the walls pained a violent pink with bright green designs all over it. The paneled hardwood floor was littered with designer shoe boxes and clothing bags. A massive walk-in closet and bathroom stood right next to each other. All in all, the room was rather spectacular.

"I know, isn't my room great?" Alice said smugly. I nodded, still in shock from the sharp transition to Alice's room coming from the hallway.

"Anyways, I heard about what happened with Lauren, and I'm going to assume you want revenge?" I barely had enough time to move my head before she had pulled me down to a sitting position on her bed and launched detailed pranks at me.

"So maybe we could do something like making her hair change colors…or I suppose we could glue her to her chair- not very original, but effective nevertheless; another thing we could do is have Edward flirt with her and somehow make her look like an idiot-"

"Whoa, whoa Alice, back up there a second. Let's go from the beginning."

For the next hour, Alice and I concocted a fool-proof plan to make sure Lauren won't do anything like this ever again.

The next day

The school day went by slowly, but finally, Edward and I made it to our detention. I grinned in anticipation- Lauren was going to pay big time.

We settled in the detention room, Edward and I glaring at Lauren, and Lauren and one of her wannabes that had gotten in trouble shortly after her- probably so Lauren didn't have to go without backup- doing the same to us.

Finally, Mr. Avvery, the detention/lunch/custodian dude told us to be quiet, or else we were going to serve another detention. I rolled my eyes. Why did he take this job, it's not like he didn't like kids….well, actually, he downright hated them.

I was about to start stage one of my plan when Mr. Avvery grunted for me to go up to his desk and take the piece of paper he was handing to me to Mrs. Lake, who was in building A. I shrugged and took the slip. I could start my prank when I got back.

Giving Edward a quick hug, I walked out of the room and stepped out of the building. As usual, it was raining, but it wasn't as bad today. It even felt kind of nice, refreshing.

I was maybe five feet from the building I just came from when a rustle of bushes came to my ears. I whipped around and stared at the shrubbery, which was now undulating a little in the wind. Watching it for a couple more seconds, it didn't do anything else, so I concluded it must have been a squirrel or something.

I had gone a couple more feet when the sound came again, but I didn't pivot this time. It wasn't like the thing would come up to me and attack me.

Right, left, right, left. I took four more steps, but then I stopped dead in shock and fear when I felt the cold metal of a gun barrel press against my back. A rough voice instructed me to turn around slowly.

The man had longish black hair, with a stubble and a few broken teeth. His clothes were all black, and in one hand he was grasping a silver revolver, the other holding onto a tan-yellow colored rope. I gulped. I didn't dare to scream because he might shoot me, I couldn't run away because he might shoot me, so I would just have to comply with whatever he said to do and hope I wouldn't die in the process.

Prodding his gun to my stomach, the stranger got me over to an old black van that was a few spaces over from Edward's Volvo. He took me by the arm tightly, shoved me in, and went around to the driver's side while handing the rope to the passenger, who twisted his body around so I could see him.

Cold fear bottomed in my stomach, making my features distort in horror. Under a mat of curly brown hair was the disgusting, grinning, maniac, sick face of none other than my father, Charlie.

_Edward's Point of View_

I tapped my foot in impatience and worry. What could be taking Bella so long? She'd been gone for ten minutes, and after Mr. Avvery had called Mrs. Lake, Bella hadn't shown up. He'd gone to look for her, along with some of the staff, and none of them were back yet.

Suddenly, Mr. Greene, our principal, burst into the room, in a cold sweat.

"Go home, all of you," he ordered. "Go home now, we need to call the police."

"What happened?" I demanded, standing up from my chair.

"Ms. Swan was seen in the back of a black van with two men in our parking lot. They drove away before we could identify them or the license plate, but we believe that it might have been her father that has taken her. Now go home, now."

I didn't argue, but I didn't move, either. I was riveted to the spot in horror and shock. Bella had been taken by her father? No. It can't be.

But as the horrible realization sunk in, I found that it _was _real, and she _had _been taken. No. This can't happen…what if she was…?

No. I can't think like that. She can't be. It just hurts way too much.

But a small, depressing, pessimistic voice in the way back of my mind that was already convinced she was…dead…said:

_I didn't even get to say goodbye._

**Ooh, twist! You didn't expect **_**that, **_**now did you? And a cliffy, I know, you all must hate me a lot right now. And I know it's kind of short, but I'll update soon. So…**

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	17. Chapter 17

**So…chapter seventeen! Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Bella's Point of View_

Flashes of color whirled behind my mind, swirling with pieces of my disjointed life. I couldn't move… it was immobilizing. I was drowning… drowning… drowning in a sea of my own memories, roaring in waves too large for me to escape. And now, so close to my own death, I'm starting to realize how beautiful life can really be.

There was one last face, and then darkness engulfed me.

_Edward…_

Crawling back into the waking world made slow, aggravating progress, like a worm slithering from a hole in the ground.

I was somewhere in between being conscious and asleep when a loud, slurred sort of voice greeted me into full awareness.

"Look at that, Charlie!" it said slowly. "She- she's coming-" the man halted for a second to hiccup, "around!" he finished, a stupid sort of pride coloring his tone.

Trying to make the movement inconspicuous, I squinted my left open to take in my surroundings.

Three men were peering down at me. Or should I say, two men with an almost adult boy, around seventeen or so, peered down at me. Him and the one who spoke looked a lot alike, and seemed awfully familiar…

The other guy was my father. Wait, but isn't my father supposed to be on the run?

Then the horrible realization of truth came crashing down on me. The detention. The parking lot. And the kidnap.

I sat bolt right up on the hard floor that I was laying on. Or rather, I tried to. About halfway up, I was yanked down by something. Glancing around amid the sick laughter of the individuals, I caught sight of a rope tying me to what looked to be the wall of a large, full-sized van. O, that's right. It looked like that because I _was _in the back of a large, full sized van. A black one, to be precise.

The youngest one looked at me in interest as I shrank back in fear at eh look in his eyes.

"You've got one hell of a daughter there, Charlie," he drawled. The laughter increased.

"I know, Jacob, I know what you want," Charlie said in his cruel voice, still chuckling a little, "but we've got to wait to get somewhere the cops aren't crawling around like ants. Then, you can do whatever you want." For a second, I didn't catch on, because my mind was so full of paralyzing terror. Then, the horrible truth dawned on me, and I couldn't hold back my little squeak of fear. Again, the sick chortling went a little louder.

"Scared, is you, bitch?" Charlie jeered at me. "You damn right should be. Jake here goes rough." With that, he kicked my ribs, hard. I whimpered almost inaudibly as I felt and heard my bone crack.

"You little bitch!" the other mall suddenly yelled drunkenly. "Charlie fed you! He let you live in his house! You should be grateful. But no." He spat on me. "You went and ratted him out to the damn police and the FBI and shit. That's-why-you-are-a-bitch." After he said each word, it was emphasized with a blow to either the side of my chest or my gut. By the time he was done, my lungs were completely devoid of oxygen.

Over my gasping and through the haze of pain, I heard Charlie's voice ask the others, "What does our source say?"

"We ain't got no sauce,' Billy, who I remembered to be Jacob's father, slurred. Well, that explained why he was drunk- William Black had a reputation in Forks to have a horrible drinking problem.

Then, without warning, Billy passed out. The others must be used to it because they didn't even seem a little bit surprised.

"He says they checking a couple hundred miles out, and they're notifying the other police in the state. SO all we have to do is derive out to Vegas or so, stop at Cali on the way, maybe. Then we're all set- they won't check there." I could practically heard him shrugging.

"Excellent," Charlie drawled. "Easy. And you!" He turned to me, his voice full of venom. My heart sank as my body and mind prepared themselves for some serious pain overload. I'd hoped that maybe, just maybe, they'd forget about me tonight. Of course not.

"You…let's see… I got business to attend to," he said thoughtfully. "James is driving the car…Bill is too drunk to do anything else except for sleep…so tat just leaves you, Jake," he told a grinning Jacob.

"But-" a maniac smile flashed across his matted features, "nothing _too _naughty, all righty?"

The youngest member of the Black family pulled the corners of his mouth even farther upwards. My eyes were stuck wide open in terror as he advanced before me, that sick look in his eyes while he cracked his knuckles.

The actual beating wasn't too bad. Mostly, he just punched a lot- no blades or anything. But right after the fifth kick in a row, he latched his mouth onto mine, pulling me roughly to him and shoving his tongue down my throat. His large hands were undoing the buttons on my shirt.

_He's going to rape me,_ I realized. It wasn't exactly surprising or unexpected, but it didn't make it any less terrifying.

Then, just as he was going to unhook my bra, Charlie called from the front seat, "Jake, we're in a town- call our source, you can have your fun with the bitch later." Maniac laughter filled the car.

Jacob nodded and shoved me back, throwing his own shirt back on.

"We'll finish this later,' he promised me, sending shivers down my spine. With that, he left me and leaned over his sleeping father. I laid there, freezing and still very scared, thinking.

_I went to detention, got kidnapped by my fugitive, lunatic of a father, I'm getting abused again, and I almost got raped. All in all, not one of my better days_, I thought sarcastically.

It was good that I could still joke about that in my head, albeit joke bitterly. It meant that I still believed that someone could come find me and help me get back to my little town. It meant I still hadn't given up hope.

At least, not yet.

_Edward's Point of View._

Bella. Gone. Bella. Gone.

These were the only two phrases that seemed capable of going through my head when Dad called me into his office. I dragged my feet, my eyelids heavy and my eyes slightly unfocused.

"Son," Carlisle told me, surveying my figure as I plodded through the door and flopped down onto an office chair, "you've got to take better care of yourself. We'll find her, and she'll be fine. Her father will most likely ask for a ransom demand, we'll pay it, and he'll let her go." He attempted to place a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I shook it off and demanded, "And how many times out of ten do the captives make it out alive?"

He didn't have an answer to that one, so he stayed silent for a moment and then changed to a different angle.

"Edward, nothing is going to happen to her. I know it. That's our little trooper, Bella. She can do anything."

I smiled weakly and told him in a hollow, disconnected sort of voice, "Yeah, I sure hope so."

And with that, I turned and ran out of his office, out of the house, out of the property to my prized Volvo. I had to get away. Right now…it was just too much.

Eventually, I reached the meadow that I was going to take Bella to. Bella. Whenever I thought about her, it hurt. Whenever I didn't think about her, it hurt worse.

"Bella, please," I whispered, a lone tear streaking down my cheek as I laid my head down on the cool grass and closed my eyes, "please don't let anything happen to you. I don't know if I'll be able to stand the guilt and pain."

_Carlisle's Point of View_

Edward shouldn't grieve like this. The girl wasn't so special. Pretty, sure, but special? No.

I flipped my cell phone open and selected the third person on the contact list.

"Hey."

The rough voice greeted me and snapped my attention back to why I was calling.

"Hey. Charlie?"

"Yeah."

"I've got more information for you."

"Good. What is it?" I smiled coldly at the flat, monotonous tone. This is why I liked this kind of business. No one was influenced by anything, not even their partners or children.

"The cops think they have a lead about you going to California, so go to Denver or something instead. That's it."

"Thanks." He hung up. Again, my lips turned upwards into that small, frigid grin. Bella probably wouldn't make it out of this alive. I might not, either. But hey, I like a challenge. Monetary rewards help as well.

_Edward's Point of View_

I had been sitting there for a couple of moments, just repeating the same phrase over and over again in my head.

_Please don't die, Bella. Please don't die._

**I know, not such a great ending, but hey! At least I got a chapter up! Sorry it took so long, I just got back to school and the teachers are mean and they give out lots of homework! But that's okay. (; love you all, please review- you get a preview of the next chapter if you do!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, everyone! Thank you all for reviewing! I have two things to say.**

**First of all, I noticed some people didn't like me making Carlisle evil. Yes, he is evil. Sorry everyone, but it's part of the story! **

**And second of all, review! It really does get the chapters up quicker and it makes them longer. Enough of my rambling. Here's chapter eighteen-enjoy!**

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Bella's Point of View_

I snapped back into awareness, bleary eyed and disoriented, looking around for my attacker….

But thankfully, Charlie was gone. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out for, but it wasn't like it mattered. Not a whole lot mattered to me now. As far as I could tell, I had been kidnapped for something like five days, but it could be more, because I didn't know the increments I was asleep for.

Thankfully, we hadn't gotten far enough away to go to a hotel or something, so Jacob hadn't been able to…do anything….to me yet, but I knew it was just a matter of time. The sick, twisted gleam in his eyes that was growing more and more rapidly each day told me that he didn't want to wait much longer.

And the beatings weren't exactly helping, either. Charlie had been hitting and kicking me more savagely than ever, and he'd rediscovered the knife. Once Jacob found out about this, he did it with pleasure. That was one of his favorite tortures now.

I wondered what I did to have the shitty life that I have. I thought back to my childhood years, when I lived with my mom...

Immediately, I stopped that train of thought. I couldn't think about my mom, it was just way to painful, especially with this going on...

Jacob burst into the room at that moment, and I could tell by the look in his eyes and his smell that he was drunk.

"I'm takin' you to a club," he slurred. "And you're gonna like it....Charlie don't have to know, don't he?" He was nodding and talking to himself, while I just sat there, trying to inch my way towards the back of the wall.

In my mind, I was fighting a raging battle with myself. Go to the club, risk getting Charlie mad, and take the chance of Jake raping me versus the possibility that I could get help. The internal war continued for minutes on end, while Jake was rambling to himself.

Finally, the more daring, more desperate part of me squashed the other side, and I decided I wouldn't tell Charlie about this and take my chances. This opportunity probably wouldn't pop up again, with Charlie gone for a while and Jacob and Billy both drunk.

"Yes, of course," I purred to him in my most seductive voice. I crawled as close to him as I could without the bonds hurting my limbs. "Of course I want to go to a club with you...we can get drunk and..." I trailed off suggestively. In my brain, I was disgusted with myself. Where the hell had I learned to do that?

Jacob's eyes lit up, and he untied the ropes roughly and grabbed my hand, leading me away from the car.

"Come on, honey," he drawled, his hot, smelly breath tickling my throat, "let's go have some fun."

He snuck me out of the van, though my heart was pounding so hard I was sure that James, who was sleeping in the front seat, would wake up to the sound of it.

_This is it,_ I thought, my mind racing. _This is my chance to get help. I could arrest those damn idiots and then go to Edward….my Edward…._

Eventually, with Jacob practically dragging me along, we reached a side road. He grinned stupidly.

"Let's go," he proclaimed. "I know the way." With that, he slung me onto his huge back, hooked my arms around his neck, and started right. He tried to talk to me, but he was so intoxicated it sounded more like gibberish than anything.

_Wait a second- if he's so drunk, could I get some information out of him? They keep on talking about some kind of source…I could find out who the hell that is, and maybe I could do something about them, too…_

"Jakey," I said in the most sexy voice I could muster. "How are you?" I slid in closer to him, even though every particle of my body screamed _get away! He's dangerous!_

Jacob was obviously a little surprised by my actions, but by no means did that mean he was displeased.

"Bella," he hummed in a thick, alcohol-tainted voice. "Bella, my beautiful Bella…"

My mind was outraged by the way he called me 'his Bella', but I kept on going.

"So you know I love you, right?" I purred, looking up at his face and tracing the pectoral muscles on his chest with my index finger.

"Mmmm…" he mumbled.

"Well, do you love me too?"

"Mmm…what? Oh, yeah, of course I do," he rumbled, his eyes a little off.

"Then," I made my countenance all pouty, "why are you keeping secrets from me?"

"I would never keep a secret from you, sweetie," he said, looking outraged.

"Yes, you are. You and Charlie and Billy keep on talking about a 'source', but you won't tell me about it." At the word 'source', his eyes became slightly more aware. I guess that even drunk, he was a little guarded about that particular piece of information.

"Well, honey," he whispered, lifting me up rather uncomfortably so I was eye level with him, "you can't know. It's-ah-for your own good." He smirked. God, was that annoying.

"But," I persisted, "I love you. And I really, really want to know." He set me down, and I lightly pressed my hands down onto his large biceps. Suddenly, out of the blue, the real danger of this plan hit me.

_You don't know where the hell he's taking you. He could be going to a dark alley where he could rape you. Charlie can walk in at any moment, and then I'm dead._

Just as I thought this, a car screeched around the corner, flooding us in light from the front of the bumper.

I stood up from into the wall. The dark van didn't seem like it was going to stop, but I needed help, and maybe these people could give me what I was looking for.

"Help!" I screamed, waving my arms in the air. "Please! I need help!" Jacob frantically tried to cover my mouth, but it was too late. The van screeched to a halt, and two men jumped out of the sides. My eyes sagged a little in relief. This horrible nightmare is probably over.

But then, as I took a closer look at their faces, my eyes widened in terrible, gripping fear, and I realized that it wasn't even anywhere near over. Because the two people that were supposedly going to 'help' me were James and Charlie.

Charlie screamed, "Who the hell do you think you are, bitch?! I thought we lost you! You would have fucking ruined everything! God, you useless piece of shit!" He kicked me really, really hard in the ribs. I fell over, silent tears running down my face.

"Get her in the car," he ordered James, then went into the trunk. Charlie's henchman dutifully swung my body around and loaded me roughly into the car.

Charlie's eyes had that maniac light in them, that one that I knew he had when he was going to use the knife. I whimpered and cowered backwards, but there was nowhere to hide.

"Well, if you run away again, _bitch_," he spat on me, and Jacob and James, who were watching with interest, laughed, "then they'll know this."

Suddenly, his hand flashed out and punched me over onto my stomach, breaking a rib in the process. I almost let out my scream, it hurt so bad.

But compared to what he did next, that was heaven. Paradise. Because what he did next was so horrifying, so agonizing, that only someone as cold, cruel, and antisocial as Charlie would dream of doing it.

He took the blade of the knife and started to cut my back into some sort of pattern, agonizingly deep and slowly. I screamed, writhed, and cried as the burning hot agony seared my skin, took over my senses, my mind, everything. It was unbearable. I couldn't take it…I needed it to stop….

But it didn't. It didn't stop for another two hours, when Charlie and his cronies finally had their cruel lust for hurt satiated by my blood.

"Take that into consideration, you whore, next time you think about doing something like that again," James said, spitting on me and going to the front seat with the others, laughing like the lunatic he was.

I lay there, exhausted and in mortal pain. It was almost bearable now, but not quite, but I didn't have any more tears to spend on it. I was completely and totally done.

Because I learned he hadn't cut a pattern into my back. Instead, there were four words, brutally carved into my soft flesh.

You.

Belong.

To.

Me.

**It was kind of filler, I know, but there's a lot of action in the next chapter. Review, please!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapters 19, hope everyone likes it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, that'd be Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 19**

_Alice's Point of View_

They took her. They took Esme. And Carlisle helped them.

Not Charlie, although I'm sure he had something to do with it. NO, the police came to my house on that fateful day in March and took one of the only people that mattered to me anymore.

Now I see how Carlisle could be so calm, so collected-he didn't love. He never loved me, Esme, Bella, or anyone, he only loved himself. He's more secretive now then he's ever been before, and I suspect that's because he's in league with Charlie and is communicating with him more now, so he doesn't want us to find out and rat him out. I wish I could though, because I would, and I would make sure that justice would be served.

Anyways, one day, I was in my room, reflecting on the horrible fate and charged my mother is facing if the courts convict her- thirty years in prison for assisting the kidnap and possible murder of a young girl. If they actually did murder Bella, then it's going to be more. But Mom's innocent….she has to be. If she's not…..then everything, everything would be a lie. Just like with my father. My mind wandered back to that terrible day…

"Come in," Esme's cheery voice called as there was a crisp knock at the door. Suddenly, a dozen authorities rushed in, arms at the ready, all pointed as Esme.

I was watching television in the living room, so I could see everything. Jumping to my feet, I sprinted over to my mom's side my mind racing.

"No!" I screamed. "Get away from her! She hasn't done anything!"

"Step aside, girl," I heard a cold voice command from behind me. Defiantly, I stood my ground, planting my feet and crossing my arms across my chest. #Esme, of course, was trying to push me away, saying that she'd be okay, that it was a big misunderstanding.

"Step aside," the frigid voice repeated. It sounded strangely familiar….but at the time, it didn't seem important. Again, I didn't follow his orders. The chief, or whoever was in charge of the operation, must have given some kind of signal, because one moment I was standing in from of my mother, steady on my own two feet, and the next my petite form was sprawled on the ground.

Groaning, I lifted my head up to catch my mother's emotionally pain-ridden face. My heart, which had already felt torn and fragile because of Bella's kidnapping, shattered into a million pieces, settling themselves all over my body. I fell to my knees, clutching my chest and tears pouring down my face. How could one person stand so much agony? How did Bella bear it?

Suddenly, over the din in my head, I heard the soft clicking noise of the door shutting. My eyes snapped up to meet Carlisle's…..but they weren't Carlisle's eyes. These were cold, hardened blue fire that seemed to burn a hole within my head. I looked into those eyes, and I knew.

"You," I whispered, barely audible. He just looked back at me, looked at me with his snowy white skin and his alien eyes. I shivered, and then passed out on the floor, my mind succumbing to the blackness that seemed welcoming, especially after all the shit I've seen. Especially after this.

I woke up slowly, like a worm coming out of a sinkhole. Edward was there…I guess he brought me up. The point is, that's how I got to my room, reflecting on how much of a little bitch Carlisle is.

"I know what you're thinking," Edward said quietly. "And I'm thinking it too. But I have a plan."

"A plan for what?" I asked flatly. I must have sounded totally defeated, but I didn't care. That's what I felt like-completely and utterly defeated.

"To get back Mom….to get back Bella….and to get back at Carlisle."

I noticed he didn't call him 'Dad'. That was a good thing. I didn't, and I never did again. As far as I was concerned, he wasn't my dad anymore.

"Edward," I sighed, arranging my legs in a slightly more comfortable position, "we can't do all that, or even any of it. The authorities have Esme. Bella's probably dead," He winced, but I kept on plowing, on, going, "and Carlisle id dangerous. They win. We lose. There's nothing we can do about it, bro. They beat us." My shoulders sagged and I shut my eyes tight to keep any more teardrops from falling down.

"Alice," he said gently, wrapping my hand in his, "you can't think like that. You have to think positive….we can do this. I promise, if it is the last thing I do, I will expose Carlisle, rescue Bella, and get back Esme. How many times have the odds been stacked against us and we've come through? Come on. I know that we can do this. We just have to take steps to get us there."

I lifted my tear-filled eyes level with his….except his weren't tear filled, only determination.

"You promise?"

"I promise. Now, you want to hear the plan, or what?" I nodded my head violently. My spirits were invigorated, even from those few words of comfort. Edward grinned, the kind of grin that I missed, the kind that he used to have when he and I played some sort of prank on our family at the boring old family reunions we used to have.

"All right. This is what we do…."

_Bella's Point of View_

I gasped at the sharp, shooting pain from the wounds in my back, but I kept on running. Charlie and the other guy, I think his name was James, were gone, leaving me in the custody of Billy and Jacob. Dumbasses. When Jacob and Billy were drunk, which was often, they couldn't even tell up from down, let alone keep a prisoner in the van.

Suddenly, my toe caught on a rock, and I was catapulted forwards, the scabs on my back reopening. I almost screamed and cried right then and there, it hurt so badly. God, why the hell did Charlie have to be so cruel? I'm always in so much agony….I wish for one day, Charlie could be me, and he could see all the shit he puts me through.

Anyways, I somehow found the strength to get back up, let out a few tears inaudibly, and continued sprinting away from the black car. I have to keep running….._just take it one step at a time,_ I told myself. _One step at a time._ But no matter how many steps I took, it didn't seem enough….

_You just have to keep going,_ I thought, sweat pouring down in boatloads from my forehead. _Just keep going, and you'll be safe….you'll be with Edward._

**Suckish ending again! Lol, oh well. OMG! Now, before you attack me with your spears and pitchforks, let me explain! I have been super busy with volleyball every single day of the week, games on weekends, tumbling on weekends, cheerleading during the week, competition coming up, so that means extra cheer practices, I still have to have a social life, I have homework, and of course boys! Lol. Anyways, I promise next one will be longer, but I just wanted to put this one up! So anyways, as always, review, review, review to your little heart's content, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! BOO! DID I SCARE YOU? Lol, I know I'm weird.**


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